To Know One's Enemy
by NedeserThul
Summary: The New Republic is still in a precarious position. To make matters worse, Darth Diabolis's forces suddenly ramp up attacks again and the rumors of a mysterious Imperial Warlord sow fear, suspicion and distrust into the Ruling Council. Luke Skywalker, his wife Mara Jade Skywalker and their Jedi must help however they can while working around Mara's pregnancy.
1. Chapter 1: Grand Admiral Thrawn

**Before I begin this story in earnest, I'm sure a lot of people are wondering where a lot of these characters are coming from. Let me be clear in saying that very few of them are original characters of my own. Below, I will be including a list of all major and some minor characters and where they come from in the EU/Legends. The main characters from the movies, I'm going to assume you know well enough. Here it goes:**

 **Mara Jade - The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn (A man of Genious)  
Talvon Asant/Darth Diabolis - Empire at War: Force of Corruption/Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords by Lucas Arts  
Xaset Tarap/Darth Heluquin - Empire at War: Force of Corruption/Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords by Lucas Arts  
Tyber Zann - Empire at War: Force of Corruption by Lucas Arts  
Urai Fenn - Empire at War: Force of Corruption by Lucas Arts  
Silri - Empire at War: Force of Corruption by Lucas Arts  
Kyle Katarn - Dark Forces/Jedi Knight by Lucas Arts  
Jan Ors - Dark Forces/Jedi Knight by Lucas Arts  
Gavin Sykes - Battle for Naboo by Lucas Arts  
Wade Vox - Demolition (yes, that crappy Playstation and Sega Dreamcast game) by Lucas Arts  
Col Serra - Battlefront: Renegade Squadron by Lucas Arts  
Qu Rahn - Dark Forces/Jedi Knight by Lucas Arts  
X2 (Ferroda Grey) - Battlefront: Elite Squadrons by Lucas Arts  
X1 - Battlefront: Elite Squadrons by Lucas Arts  
Shara - Battlefront: Elite Squadrons by Lucas Arts  
Keyan Farlander - X-wing by Lucas Arts  
Clone of Jorus C'Baoth (Joruus C'Baoth) - The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn (A man of Genious)  
Ysanne Isard - the X-wing Graphic Novels  
Trioculus - The Jedi Prince Novels  
Talon Karrde - The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn (A man of Genious)  
Kasan Moor - Rogue Squadron 3D  
Winter Retrac - The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn (A man of Genious)  
Nisotsa - Empire at War: Force of Corruption/Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords by Lucas Arts  
Cariaga Cin - Empire at War: Force of Corruption/Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords by Lucas Arts  
Galen Marek (General Starkiller) - The Force Unleashed games by Lucas Arts  
Rahm Kota - The Force Unleashed games by Lucas Arts  
Maris Brood - The Force Unleashed games by Lucas Arts  
Ezra Bridger - Star Wars: Rebels by Disney  
Kanan Jarus - Star Wars: Rebels by Disney  
Hera Syndulla Jarus - Star Wars: Rebels by Disney  
Sabine Wren - Star Wars: Rebels by Disney  
Garazeb Orrelios - Star Wars: Rebels by Disney  
Chopper - Star Wars: Rebels by Disney  
Admiral Sato - Star Wars: Rebels by Disney  
Ta'a Chume - The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton  
Isolder - The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton  
Tenenial Djo - The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton**

 **Now, I know that a lot of these, I have taken some liberties with but I figured hey, it's a fanfic and I'm not making money so it's fine. Now some of my Characters are original such as the Naboo Royal Family from a Host from the Past. Please each of these characters above from Wookieepedia and if I made a mistake, let me know so that I can correct it. Now, for the story you've all been waiting for - the first chapter of 'To Rule an Empire'.**

* * *

 **Coruscant - The Former Darth Vader's Retreat**

Luke Skywalker finished rinsing the cleanser off his face and looked in the mirror. He saw a strong jaw, a dimpled chin, battle scars and blue eyes - all things that his wife insisted made him absolutely endearing. In those crystal-clear blue eyes he saw the earnestness, naivete and optimism that constantly made her call him 'Farmboy' with such fondness. His mind then strayed to the thoughts of his wife - Mara Jade Skywalker. Luke smiled happily as he always did when thinking about his wife and his mind began to travel back through the past. He remembered with absolute clarity the first time they had met on Tatooine when she had tried to kill him with a vibro-pike while dressed as a dancer on Jabba's Sail Barge. From there it went to when they had first spoken together on Dagobah after Yoda had opened her eyes to the truth about Palpatine and his evil. They had immediately become friends and perhaps even more, warding off the Emperor's mental attacks and facing Darth Vader and Palpatine together on the second Death Star. They had survived only because Vader turned against the Emperor and he and Luke battled him. In the end, after an effort of all three of them, Palpatine was defeated.

From that point, his mind rifled through the fast-paced life of a Colonel in the Alliance Special Forces, combating Imperials and Zann Consortium Mercenaries alike until that fateful trip to Naboo. It was there that Luke and Mara confessed there love for one another and made love to each other for the first time. It was there that Mara finally stepped firmly onto the path of a Jedi Knight and where her own training began. They celebrated their birthdays together, spending time in the former Emperor's suite. Luke grinned foolishly, remembering the countless hours wrapped in each other's arms in heated passion and love.

When the events on Naboo had concluded, they had gathered their first students, Wade Vox, Kyle Katarn, Ferroda Grey, Keyan Farlander and Luke's twin sister Leia Organa, now Leia Organa Solo, and began their training to be Jedi Knights. Suddenly, a shadow crossed over Luke's face as he remembered what happened a little over six months into the New Jedi Students' training - Darth Heluquin. Darth Heluquin was a Sith who came out of nowhere and captured both Luke and Mara, albeit in very different ways. On Mara he used a toxic dart to inject a dark side infused poison that minimized her strong feelings of love, compassion, joy and understand and strengthened the darker feelings of resentment, jealousy, lust and anger that all sentient beings possessed, essentially turning her to the dark side without even tempting her. In turn, Heluquin had used Mara to capture and torture Luke, taking everything he could away from the young Jedi - his health, his freedom, his pride and his connection to the force via a force dampening cage. Heluquin and Mara even convinced him that his family and friends were killed in a battle, making it seem as though they had taken Luke's loved ones away as well. To cap it all, Mara had made love to Heluquin as Luke watched, wrenching his heart in two. After that, Luke had slipped into darkness himself and successfully escaped, killing the Sith Lord and threatening even to kill Mara. They were both saved when their students arrived and rescued them, shielding them from the dark side and administering an antidote. It had taken a long time to recover. During that time, the Alliance had taken Coruscant, declared itself the New Republic and accept the Hapes Consortium into it. The Hapan Prince Isolder had asked Mara to marry him. Luke grinned remembering how he had taken her to the Outer Rim, away from the pressure of the Ruling Council and Military High Command and the Jedi Masters so that she could meditate and make her decision in peace - a decision between the Prince and a life of Royalty and comfort or Luke and the life of a Jedi and relative simplicity and difficulty. In the end, she had chosen Luke and, after a massive victory on and over the Outer Rim World Dathomir and an even bigger victory over the traitorous Imperial Warlord Trioculus on Coruscant, they had settled to planning their wedding and training their students.

Luke grinned at himself again, threw his shirt over his shoulder, and headed to the kitchen to grab a snack bar and water glass for his wife, knowing that Mara would want them in the middle of the night.

* * *

Mara sat in bed looking at her datapad but not reading a word of Kyle Katarn's report on Imperial activity. She had sensed her husband's nostalgia and it had brought on a contemplative mood for her too. She remembered Han and Leia's wedding before they had gone to Hapes for there honeymoon. Apparently they had gone traveling after that and wound up on Tatooine where they met some of Luke's and Leia's father's childhood friends and a journal from their grandmother Shmi Skywalker.

Mara thought of the weddings themselves. Leia's wedding had been small, with friends from Alderaan, their family, fellow Jedi and the members of the Ruling Council and High Command. In contrast, Mara's and Luke's wedding had been huge. Well, the public wedding had been huge. In private, with only Luke, Mara, the Jedi and their very closest friends and family, they had a smaller and, in Mara's mind, far more meaningful ceremony officiated by Rahm Kota. The official wedding was completely open to the public and security had been at an all time high. Every sewer system, traffic lain, maintenance shaft and street had been monitored by the Coruscant Security Forces, New Republic Intelligence and six of the best civilian security contractors in galaxy. The skies were filled with patrolling starfighters and combat airspeeders and a large New Republic Fleet, including the one of the three Executor-Class Star Dreadnaughts, the _Star bird_ , was in orbit above to make sure that no one tried anything. It had been magnificent. Mon Mothma had officiated it herself. The reception had been quite limited in comparison, consisting of only friends, family and honored guests.

Mara smiled happily but then considered the events that occurred while she and Luke were away on their honeymoon on Naboo. Wade Vox, Keyan Farlander and Nisotsa had all been sent on a mission with Alliance Special Forces to a strange facility hidden in the tibanna glass clouds of Tallaran. There they had found one of Darth Vader's most dangerous experiments, a station and a Star Destroyer that had been used to study a artificial virus called Imperial Bioweapons Project I71A, dubbed _Blackwing_. On that station, they had battled horrible monsters, a Dark Jedi Master that had once served Palpatine and a Nightsister Witch who was so evil, she had been exiled from the Nightsister clan. Mara shuddered, remembering the reports - reports of the _Blackwing_ virus bringing the dead to life. She hastily cleared her mind of the memory even though they came with a spike of pride since the Old Masters - spirits of Jedi Masters Yoda, Qui-Gan Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qu Rahn and Anikan Skywalker - had conferred upon the three Jedi students the rank of Jedi Knight with the approval and support of the Jedi Master's Rahm Kota, Galen Marek and Kanan Jarrus.

Mara also recalled the battles that had followed several months after. Ferroda Grey, the clone Jedi who was formerly known by the designation X2, had lead the battle against his clone brother X1, destroying cloning facilities that the Dark Jedi Warlord was using to create armies of soldiers, stromtroopers and Wookiee warriors and factories he was using to build Dark Trooper battle droids. Worst of all, X1 had somehow managed to clone many of the most power human force users from before and during the Clone Wars, including the Sith Lords Darth Sidious and Count Dooku. X1 had killed the Jedi Master Rahm Kota and it had taken the combined power of the New Jedi Order and the New Republic Military to finally destroy him and his clones with Ferroda delivering the killing blow in a duel against his brother. Mara sighed at the memories and even felt a lump in her throat. Rahm Kota had been a wise, kindly and powerful if slightly ill tempered, impatient and irascible Jedi Master. But he had died a hero and just as with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda before him, his armor had been found empty when he died. In the end, Ferroda had defeated his brother and the Masters had elevated him to the rank of Jedi Knight as well.

After that, some lawyers and bankers had somehow found a document left with them by Darth Vader after Luke's confrontation on Bespin. It had contained a very, VERY large sum of money and an estate on Coruscant, an estate that was very large and mostly empty. No record even indicated that Vader had used it yet he had it constructed anyway. With all this went a message stating that, should Lord Vader die, his son was to take up his legacy and defeat the Emperor and bring order to the galaxy. Luke did not need the large estate so he had turned it into the official Headquarters of the New Jedi Order, giving his students and fellow Jedi Knights and teachers quarters and renovating it to serve as an extensive training facility. To Mara, however, it was now home. The main suite had been completely renovated into a large penthouse for her and Luke and she loved it.

Mara sighed and remembered with fondness the past months. They had been peaceful and happy. Back when she had first met Luke on Dagobah, she would never have expected this life. Now, five years after the Battle of Endor and nine after the Battle of Yavin, Mara still couldn't believe it sometimes. Smiling and closed down her datapad. "Luke, get your gorgeous behind in here. I'm ready for bed."

A low chuckle came from the hallway and Mara's beloved husband appeared in the doorway, his shirt tossed over one shoulder, his chest bare and with a snack bar in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Mara smiled and said, "You take such good care of me and spoil me. I don't deserve you, you know."

Luke chuckled and set the water and snack bar beside her. "After the life you've had, Mara Jade Skywalker, peace and happiness like this is exactly what you deserve - you and our future child."

He placed a gentle hand on her slightly swollen belly and rubbed tenderly. Mara looked down at it and smiled, placing her hand on Luke's over the bump. "This has been a long and hard road, Beloved and I can't wait to see the life that we created. Do you remember what I told you during the first trimester?"

Luke chuckled. "Oh yeah and the second and I'm sure you'll tell me during the third trimester and during labor too;" and in a ridiculous imitation of Mara's voice, he said, "'Luke, I love you. You are the light of my life and the lover of my soul - but if you ever do this to me again, I'll make you suffer for as long as I have to.'"

Mara laughed and smacked him on the shoulder lightly. "And don't you forget it, Buddy cause that warning still stands."

Luke sighed in mock-sadness. "Yes, I know. My dreams of having a dozen children to spread the name of Skywalker across the galaxy are crushed."

Mara gasped and swatted him again. "Bite your tongue! If you think I'm going to go through this eleven more times, you must have been hitting spice while I wasn't look, Skywalker."

Luke chuckled and went around to his side of the bed, folding back the blanket and climbing in. Using the force, Mara shut the lights off and snuggled up to her husband, hugging his right arm since she couldn't do as she normally did, lying half on and half off his bare chest and abdomen because of her own swollen belly. Luke kept chuckling to himself and Mara asked, "What are you laughing at now, Farmboy?"

Luke chuckled more and said, "Just remembering what Han said when we told him that we were pregnant."

Mara giggled tiredly and repeated the Corellian's words. "'You had to get Mara pregnant at the same time Leia was, didn't you? Now I have nowhere to escape when I need a break from all of the craziness that comes with pregnancy!'"

Luke and Mara laughed at the memory of Leia and Mara's reply to his ill-chosen words. _"Excuse me?" Leia nearly shrieked. "When YOU need a break?" growled Mara. Luke just shook his head and said, "Run, Han! Run for your life!"_

 _Han had slowly backed away, his mouth working but without any noise coming out. Every door into and out of the living room slammed shut, leaving both of them locked in the room with the two angry woman. They both laid into Han, Leia saying, "You men have nothing to complain about, do you hear? Nothing at all! Do you have any idea what it's like to carry a child? Of course not! You're a male!"_

 _Mara had continued, "Not only that, YOU are the ones who DO IT TO US. You should be doting on us for the entire pregnancy, not looking for breaks!"_

 _Then, they both went into excruciating and rather unpleasant detail of human pregnancy and Luke did everything within his power to keep from laughing, knowing that if even one snort, even one smirk or even one amused thought made it through his mental shielding, they would both be on him like wamp rats on a wounded bantha. Finally, they both stopped assailing Han and just glared at him. He had been backed up until he had been forced to sit in an overstuffed reclining chair, looking white and wide eyed at the two strongest women that he knew as they laid into him. When they finally finished, Leia said, "Well what do you have to say for yourself, Mister?"_

 _Han gulped and hazarded a guess and prayed that it was the right answer. "I am so sorry for being so insensitive and saying such a horrible thing. Why don't I make it up to you both and go work on making dinner? What sounds good?"_

 _They both glared at him but Luke remained completely stoic lest he in-inadvertently volunteer to clean up the dishes all by himself. Leia glared for just another moment before smiling and saying, "Apology accepted. Mara, Luke, do you both like Alderaanian-style nerf casserole? Han is very good at it though it is a lot of work."_

 _Han didn't dare complain as Luke and Mara nodded eagerly before the beautiful redhead turned on Luke and glared. "Do you have any snarky remarks, comments or thoughts, Skywalker?"_

 _Luke took her hand and asked, "Can I get either of you wonderful ladies anything?"_

 _Leia had thrown a smirk at her husband, who rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Luke. Han will take care of it."_

 _"But I would like to help. Anything for the two most important women in my life during such a difficult time;" Mara had rolled her eyes but smiled while she did. "Oh brother, Luke; alright, you're off the hook. Come on and sit with us while Solo makes dinner."_

 _Awhile later, when Luke came in carrying three empty glasses to refill them with carbonated soft drinks, Han growled, "Thanks for the help, 'Buddy'."_

 _Luke chuckled and said, "Hey now, don't blame me. You should have known what was going to happen if you said something like that. This is Leia and Mara we're talking about."_

 _Han snorted and said, "Still could have said or done something instead of just standing there trying not to laugh."_

 _Luke chuckled and said, "And risk joining you in evening cooking duty? I think not, my friend. You and your big Corellian mouth brought it on yourself."_

 _From the other room, Mara's overly cheerful voice called, "Everything okay in there, Love?"_

 _Luke finished filling the glasses and called back, "Yup. On my way back in, Mara."_

 _Han smirked. "She has you whipped."_

 _Luke laughed and said, "Oh yeah - has since Endor. But that's okay because Leia's had your whipped since the first Death Star. You just weren't willing or able to admit it."_

 _Before Han could retort, Luke had returned to the other room._

Mara and Luke were both laughing hysterically at the memory. They were still chuckling as they drifted slowly but surely off to sleep.

* * *

 **Coruscant - The Imperial Palace - The quarters of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo**

Han sat happily whistling to himself as he scrubbed the last few dishes before putting them in the drying unit. Leia watched him fondly, sitting on the couch and humming along with the tune as she rubbed her slightly swollen abdomen. She looked down and smiled as she did, happy, content and excited to bring two new lives into the universe. Twins. She and Han were going to have two little twins. The force was strong with them - she could already tell. "Do you need anything, Honey?" Han asked, the last dish in his hand and a towel over his shoulder. Leia smiled and said, "Yes. Put that dish in the dryer and come sit with me. I need you - right now."

Han smiled and hurried to do her bidding. When he sat down, Leia carefully levered herself into his lap, placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him long and sensually. Han wrapped one arm around his wife's back and placed the other gently on her stomach, relishing the feel and taste of his Leia's lips. Slowly, Leia's hands drifted down to his shoulders and to the buttons of his shirt. One at a time, she undid them and pressed a hand against Han's warm skin. "Mmph;" he murmured. "Your hands are cold;" he said around her lips. Leia giggled and said, "I'm sorry;" as she pushed the other inside as well, allowing her cold hands to absorb the warmth of Han's body. Han chuckled and pulled her as close as he could, resting his chin on her head gently. "I love you;" he whispered. Leia smiled and pulled away. "I know."

They chuckled at their private joke and she kissed Han again, running her tongue along his lips. Han groaned and granted her entrance. Slowly, she pushed him back against the corner of the couch while she un-tucked his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. Han pulled back and looked up at her with such tenderness in his eyes. Leia smiled down and asked, "He do you so easily affect me, Han?"

Han grinned roguishly and said, "It's just my Corellian charm, Princess."

Leia's smile became seductive and she reached down for the belt at his waist and began to slowly and teasingly unbuckle it. "Oh it certainly is, you Scoundrel."

* * *

 **Outside the Obroa-Skai System**

"My Lord, I have a report. The Imperial Star Destroyer _Chimaera_ has just dropped out of hyperspace. It would seem that this Imperial Grand Admiral was true to his word"

Darth Diabolis digested the news of his Dark Jedi Master. The Sith Lord had never had any doubt that this would be the case. The Grand Admiral was a man of tactics and strategy and there would be too much tactical and strategic gain for both of them. "Very good. Await his call and when he does, invite him aboard the _Emergent_ in my name. I have a feeling he will wish to stay aboard his own ship but that is no reason not to at least make the invitation."

Diabolis gazed as the spear-head shape of the Imperial Star Destroyer winked into existence. Far behind him, the bridge door opened and Diabolis smiled as he sensed his apprentice and lover striding up behind him. "How goes the training of our new acolytes, Lady Silri?" asked the Dark Lord without turning to meet her. The Nightsister Witch and Sith Apprentice replied, "It is adequate, my Lord. Several excelled and will be powerful servants indeed."

Diabolis frowned. "'Adequate', you say? How do you mean 'adequate'?"

"They have passed our trials thus far. The fact that their were no fatalities as of yet causes me to wonder if they are difficult enough, my Lord."

Diabolis's handsome face broke into a chuckle. "They are, my Dear. This was only the first of many and they will only become stronger. The goal is not to kill our students but to make them powerful. If they cannot become such, then they will die."

Silri was about to reply when the Captain of the ship said, "My Lord, I apologize for the interruption but Grand Admiral Thrawn is awaiting you via holo-communications."

Diabolis nodded and went to the comms station. The blue image of a tall near-human in a white uniform with blue skin and glowing red eyes greeted him. Diabolis gave a short bow. "Greetings again, Grand Admiral Thrawn. I look forward to our meeting in person."

The Grand Admiral bowed low and replied, "It is an honor, Darth Diabolis. Allow me to invite you aboard my command ship the _Chimaera_ where we can discuss our plans and perhaps demonstrate to one another how we may benefit from this partnership."

Darth Diabolis inclined his head and said, "I would be honored, Grand Admiral Thrawn. I will come only with my apprentice, of course."

The Grand Admiral offered a small smile. "You may bring whomever you wish, My Lord. I look forward to the honor of your presence."

"And I, the honor of yours, Grand Admiral;" replied Diabolis with a bow. The comms unit deactivated. "Captain, have a shuttle prepared. We will go over immediately. Come, my Dear. Let us meet our new ally."

* * *

Captain Gillad Pellaeon watched the ugly though obviously advanced shuttle cut space from the Kelbade-Class Cruiser towards his own Star Destroyer. He was decidedly uneasy about having a Dark Lord of the Sith, or anyone who claimed to be for that matter, on board and wondered what the Grand Admiral was thinking about doing so. "Attention on the bridge!" shouted a nervous, young voice. Pellaeon snapped to attention and turned. Down the long catwalk, in measured strides strode Grand Admiral Thrawn. Pellaeon saluted and reported, "Admiral, Sir - our guests are on their way."

The Grand Admiral nodded and stepped to the viewport beside Pellaeon. "As you were;" he said in a calm voice that all could hear. As the crewers returned to their work, Thrawn murmured to Pellaeon, "I take it that you do not approve have having our new allies aboard, Captain."

Pellaeon was used to the Admiral's seeming omniscience and replied, "I do wonder at the wisdom, Admiral. If this Sith Lord is anything like Darth Vader, we could be in grave danger."

To his surprise, Thrawn chuckled. "This Sith Lord is nothing like Darth Vader, Captain. Come, let us greet our guests. Have a detachment of Stormtroopers meet us in the hanger to welcome Darth Diabolis and his Apprentice."

* * *

Diabolis and Silri stood at the bottom of the shuttle ramp and waited as a dozen of the Empires vaunted, white-armored Stormtroopers strode towards them, escorting two tall figures. One was the blue skinned being in white and the other was a tall man with grey hair and mustache. Diabolis could tell that the latter was a veteran of wars and battles that spanned decades. The former, however, was harder to read. Carefully, he reached out with the force only to find the highly disciplined mind of a brilliant military leader and strategist. As they approached, the being in white said, "It is an honor to meet you in person, My Lord. Allow me to introduce myself and my captain in person. I am Grand Admiral Thrawn and this is Captain Gillad Pellaeon and welcome aboard the _Chimaera_."

Diabolis bowed and said, "It is an honor, Admiral. I am Darth Diabolis, Dark Lord of the Sith and this is my Apprentice and Shadow Hand, Lady Silri. We thank you for your gracious welcome and eagerly await these discussions."

The Admiral smiled and motioned towards the hanger doors. "Please follow me. Our Stormtroopers will provide an honor guard and they will take us to my personal meditation chamber. There, we may discuss our arrangement without being disturbed."

The meditation chamber contained two semi-circles of repeater displays, one slightly higher than the other, in front of a ship's captain's chair. There were three other chairs set as well - one beside the captain's chair and two in front of them. Suddenly, Silri hissed and Diabolis looked at her, one dark brow rising. In the corner was a Noghri warrior, watching them through large, dark eyes. The Nightsister did not like them. Diabolis placed a hand on the small of her back and ushered her to a seat. The Grand Admiral courteously said, "Please sit. In your honor, allow me to display something for you."

The room darkened suddenly and dozens upon dozens of works of art appeared. Diabolis recognized all of them. Some were ancient Jedi workings and some ancient Sith. There were also holos of a few Nightsister works as well. Diabolis nodded in approval. "This is quite impressive, Admiral. Many of these came from the Jedi Temples on Coruscant from four thousand years ago and some from the ancient Sith even before that. These I recognize from Dathomir as well."

Thrawn nodded and went from one piece to another, admiring them. "Unfortunately, they are mostly holos only. I am particularly fond of these pieces here - they are from the Tython Jedi temple during the Great Galactic War just before the fleets of the Infinite Empire arrived. See the flows and subtly curved lines - magnificent. They are quite a contrast to these over here;" and the Grand Admiral strode over to another set of holographic works. "They are hard, straight and there is little to nothing subtle about them. Do you know what I read in these exquisite pieces of art, My Lord?"

Diabolis shook his head and the Grand Admiral continued, "Two very different philosophies of course. To the Jedi, the force is an ally, called upon at need. It is the source of life and flows through everything on currents. The Sith believe that the force is a servant, a weapon one wields to attain and maintain power. It is even written in the runes and glyphs of this artwork."

The Dark Lord nodded and stood, going from piece to piece himself until he and the Grand Admiral were side by side. "I do not wish to be rude or insulting but how is this useful to us, Grand Admiral Thrawn."

The blue skinned man smiled and said, "I will show you in a demonstration I have prepared for us. In about five minutes, a New Republic Assault force will drop out of hyperspace from the Obroa-Skay system."

All three of the rooms other occupants started slightly, though Diabolis recovered quickly and said, "I see. What will this be a demonstration of, Admiral?"

"The utmost importance of truly knowing one's enemy AND one's ally. Come, let us head to the bridge. Captain, set alert to red and have our sentry ships on full alert. Send crews to their TIE Fighters and send full power to deflector shields."

When they reached the bridge, they had but a moment to wait for four assault frigates and a pair of Marauder-Class Corvettes to drop out of hyperspace. With them were three squadrons of X-Wing Starfighter and a Squadron of Y-Wing Bombers. The Captain looked at his Admiral anxiously, "Sir?"

Grand Admiral Thrawn stood, his confidence emanating throughout the bridge and even effected those who were crewing the ship. Diabolis cleared his throat and said, "If you wish, Admiral, I can summon my flag ship to our aid."

"There is no need, My Lord. I would be much obliged, in fact, if you send your ship further away, making it clear that it will not be a part of this engagement. Captain, have three of our sentry ships engage but be ready to recall them. Now, we watch;"

They all watched as a the holographic representations of the sentry ships and the enemy approached one another. Suddenly, one of the blue dots representing a sentry ship winked out and Thrawn nodded matter-of-factly. "Good. Recall the sentry ships to there previous positions."

Pellaeon desperately wanted to suggest sending for reinforcements or at lest allowing the Sith Lord to summon his Cruiser but he held his tongue, knowing that he would incur the Grand Admiral's extreme displeasure to do so in front of their guests. "Helmsman, I went a twenty degree port yaw rotation. Bring us flat to the enemy's vector with our superstructure pointing at them. As soon as they are within the perimeter, the sector four sentry line is to reform behind them and jam all transmissions."

The Lieutenant, seeming to understand just as Pellaeon did, obeyed the Grand Admiral's command. Silri turned to her master and was surprised to great interest on his face and little more. "What are you doing, if I may ask, Grand Admiral?"

The Grand Admiral turned and smiled, "I do not mean any disrespect when I say that you may not fully recognize the strategies I use do to your age and stasis. Please, observe and if you have questions, remember them and inquire at the conclusion of the engagement."

Diabolis nodded and they continued to observe. The Star Destroyer turned as per orders and they all watched. After the turn was complete, the Grand Admiral said, "That's fine, Helmsman. Drop docking bay deflector shields and send all power to boost the others. TIE Fighter squadrons launch when ready. Head directly away from the _Chimera_ for two kilometers. Then sweep around in open cluster formations - backfire speed zone attack pattern."

After receiving the acknowledgements, Thrawn turned to his captain. "Do you understand now, Captain?"

Pellaeon, not at all surprised that his commander had recognized his confusion, pursed his lips. "I'm afraid not. I see that the reason you turned the ship was to give our fighters cover to launch. The rest is nothing but a classic Marg Sabl closing maneuver. They're not going to fall for anything that simple."

Thrawn gave a cold smile. "On the contrary, Captain. Not only will they fall for it, they will be utterly destroyed by it."

The TIE's launched away from the Chimera, following the ordered vector. To Pellaeon's surprise, the enemy ships changed vectors to engage. "What in the Empire are they doing?"

Thrawn could have been laughing. "They're trying the only defense they know against a Marg Sabl - that is to say, the only defense that they are psychologically capable of attempting."

With what could have been a smirk, the Grand Admiral pointed to the enemy ships, "You see, gentlemen and Lady, there is an Elom commanding that attack force and the Elomin simply cannot handle the unstructured pattern of a perfectly executed Marg Sabl."

Blatant awe shone from Diabolis's yellow eyes as he watched. "You were able to determine that from that simple engagement of the sentry ships. Remarkable."

Silri looked at her master in mild surprise. He had never shown such awe for any other being - well, any other being save her but that was different of course. Thrawn looked at them all, his captain and his guests. "Learn about art, My Lord, Captain. If you learn about a specie's art, you learn about that species. Helm, bring us to flag speed. Prepare to join the attack."

* * *

An hour later it was all over and Thrawn turned to Darth Diabolis and said, "Join me in my private dining room, My Lord and let us discuss this partnership over dinner. No doubt you have many questions."

Diabolis bowed and nodded, a new level of respect in his manner. "It would be my pleasure, Grand Admiral Thrawn. There is much that I would ask you."

 **Here it is - finally! I had to brush up on my Thrawn trilogy for it and am working my way through the books again so that I can alter them just enough to make them fit in this alternate universe. I hope you enjoyed. Oh and there will be no smut in this fic. Sorry.**

 **Updated 12.04.2017**


	2. Chapter 2: The Passing of Ghosts

**Coruscant - The Former Darth Vader's Retreat/New Jedi Order Training Facility**

"Luke - Luke;"

Luke Skywalker opened his eyes at the whispering voice in his mind. Groggily, he woke and sat up, careful not to jostle his sleeping wife. "Luke;" there it was again. Putting on a robe and slippers, he quietly slipped out to the main living area of his penthouse and, from there, to the balcony. Luke smiled at the sight that greeted him - five ghostly figures. They weren't as vivid as they normally were and there was an heir of sadness lacing the unmistakable pride he felt in the force. Luke's first master Ben Kenobi spoke. "You have done so very well, Luke. Thanks to you, the New Jedi Order is growing."

A small green creature, Master Yoda, continued. "Many enemies, you will face and allies you will find. Old friends, you will reconnect with as well."

A tall Jedi master with long brown hair, Qui-Gan Jinn, said, "But always be on your guard. The Sith are not gone and the dark side is still very powerful. Remember what Yoda told you - once you step down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny."

All five pairs of eyes suddenly looked behind Luke. Mara was there behind him, slipping her arms around his waist and resting her chin on his shoulder. "Hello, Masters. Is there a particular reason you stole my husband away in the middle of the night?"

Her manner was light and playful and the Masters smiled. Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker said, "Can you begrudge a father one last goodbye to his son."

"Goodbye? What do you mean, Father?" asked Luke, anxiety building in his stomach. Master Qu Rahn looked sad as he said, "I'm afraid that this will be out last goodbye, young Skywalkers. The force calls us away."

"You can't leave!" said Luke. "Darth Diabolis is still out there and we need your wisdom to help us train more Jedi students." A sixth voice came from behind them. "You have all the wisdom you require, Boy and you will gain more as you gain experience."

They turned and were surprised to see the spirit of Jedi Master Rahm Kota. He didn't appear in armor as he had in life but in the brown robes of a Jedi Master. It was strange to see him dressed like that. Mara chuckled, "I think I like the armor better, Master."

Kota smiled and said, "Armor is warn for battle, Girl. My battles are over. I can finally rest from war, something I have craved since my earliest memories. I pass the torch onto you two and on to Kanan and on to Galen and to all of your Jedi Knights."

Both Luke and Mara felt tears in their eyes as they nodded sadly. Anakin stepped up to Luke, a look of repressed pain on his still-young face. "You have made me so proud, Luke. You have diligently worked to undo all the terrible things I did as Darth Vader."

He looked at Mara and smiled fondly. "Take care of my son, Former-Emperor's Hand."

Mara smiled through her tears and said, "I will, Former-Darth Vader."

Slowly, they faded into the night, leaving Luke and Mara alone on the balcony. Luke sighed, depression weighing him down. A soft pair of lips pressed against his cheek. "I know it's completely unreasonable considering but somehow, I feel so alone;" he murmured. Mara smiled and tugged on his ear with her teeth ever so gently. "I know. It's hard to say goodbye. Come on. Let's go back to bed and we'll worry about the implications of this later. I'm still tired."

Luke chuckled and turned to face his wife, placing a gentle hand on her swelling stomach. She was just under three months pregnant and still faced the horrible bouts of morning sickness. "Of course, Dear. Let's go."

As they passed through the entry hall to get back to the bedroom, there was a knock at the door. Luke frowned and reached out with the force. With a tired chuckled, he said, "Wade;"

Mara chuckled and wrapped the robe more securely around her frame. Luke went to the door and opened it, looking up into the green eyes and scruffy looking face of Wade Vox, one of his newest Jedi Knights and surrogate little brother. His brown hair was all mussed and concern was written on his rough but still handsome features. "Is everything alright, Luke? I sensed a lot of melancholy from you just a bit ago."

Luke patted his friend's shoulder and said, "Everything is alright. I just received some depressing news. We'll talk about it at the meeting tomorrow morning."

Mara suddenly grinned and said, "You should hurry back now, Wade. I think your lady friend is getting restless."

As if to prove Mara's point, a head and part of a torso poked out from the door to Wade's quarters. Mesa Lorilli, the Hapan Ambassador to the New Republic, looked sleepy and slightly confused but still smiled pleasantly and gave a small wave. "Well if you're sure you're okay;" said Wade skeptically. Luke nodded and said, "We are. Off you go, Wade."

Mesa took Wade's hand and pulled him back into his quarters. Mara frowned slightly and subconsciously began running her fingers through her red-gold curls. "Is it just a Hapan thing to be able to wake up and look perfect?"

Luke kissed her and said, "Funny, I thought that was just something YOU were able to do."

"Liar;" said Mara with a smile. Suddenly, they both felt Leia in their minds, questioning if they were okay. Luke chuckled and sent back reassuring thoughts. The Imperial Palace where Han and Leia lived was at least thirty kilometers away and yet, Luke and Mara could hear her almost clearly. Mara sent her a few thoughts of mock-annoyance, spicing it with just a little goodnature and Leia sent her an image of Leia sticking her tongue out at Mara. Luke and Mara chuckled as they made their way back to bed. Luke still couldn't shake the feelings of depression as they lay to sleep. With a gentle kiss, Mara sent through their special force bond thoughts of comfort and reassurance and love to him, whispering in his mind that they would be fine.

* * *

Leia's stomach twinged slightly and she rubbed it soothingly, murmuring, "It's okay. It's all right. You're Uncle Luke just got a little restless."

As she soothed the unborn lives within her, she reached for the glass of warm milk on the bed-stand. With a couple long swallows, she pulled a face and finished the drink. Warm milk was pretty low on the list of her preferred drinks but it was the only drink that could calm the twinges in her stomach. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Leia sighed. Of course Winter would wake up. "Come in, Winter."

A tall woman with shimmering white hair glided into the room. Leia observed her adopted sister, aide and closest friend, feeling just the smallest spike of jealousy that Winter managed to look more regal and composed in a dressing gown minutes after waking up than Leia did on her best day. "Are you alright, your Highness?"

Leia smiled and said, "I'm fine, Winter. I just sensed a little anxiety from Luke and the babies started to twinge a little."

"Could I get you some more warm milk or perhaps some crackers?"

Leia smiled gratefully. "No, thank you. They've calmed down now."

On an impulse, Winter sat down next to Leia on the bed and said, "Has there been any word from Captain Solo recently?"

Leia felt a spike of loneliness driven anger. "No!" she muttered, not entirely able to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "Last time we talked, he was on his way to Tatooine to meet some old associates."

She struggled to maintain her calm and to resist cursing these stupid contact missions her husband was constantly going on. Sure, the New Republic was in desperate need of supply ships and pilots but why in the name of Alderaan did it always have to be Han? There were plenty of former smugglers in the Alliance who could pull the contact missions off. Why did he always have to go and leave her?

Leia breathed deeply and reminded herself that Han was doing what he could, how he could. Even though he had resigned his commission, he still served the New Republic in the best way he could, essentially becoming an independant agent for them. Of course, that meant that the High Council would use him just like they used all their resources. With a small amount of bitterness, Leia also reminded herself that, if Han were to stay on Coruscant, they still wouldn't see very much of one another. She was just as busy as he was - he just went to far-flung planets. "You're Highness?"

Winter's voice brought her out of her revelry and Leia smiled. "I'm fine, Winter. Go on. We have a busy day tomorrow."

A tiny look of amusement crossed Winter's face. "Is there another kind?"

Leia chuckled. "You are far too young to be a sinic. Go on, scram."

Winter smiled and got up, gliding to the door and exiting with only one small look over her shoulder. Leia lay back on the bed and sighed. With one final tender rub of her slightly bulging stomach, she murmured, "Good night, my Darlings."

* * *

 **Tatooine - Mos Eisley Cantina**

Even in almost ten years, some things would never change. There was still a band that plaid lively music, still a bartender that dispised droids and still the wafting scent of smokes and vapors in the air. The only thing that had changed was that the unsavory collection of smugglers, mercenaries and bounty hunters was nowhere to be seen. Han Solo pulled a face as he took another drink. With a wry smile, Han murmured to himself, "Didn't we just leave this party?"

Beside him, the Wookiee Chewbacca gave a low growl. Han looked at him. "Don't worry so much. He'll be here. It's only Dravis. There's nothing to worry about. He's never on time to anything."

The Wookiee gave another growl and Han scowled. He was about to reply when a shadow fell over the table. "Hello Solo, Chewbacca."

Han counted to three before looking up and inclining his head. "Hello Dravis. Long time no see. Why don't you have a seat?"

The tall man smirked and said, "Oh I will - as soon as you and Chewie put both hands on the table where I can see them."

Han gave him a look of injured innosence and wrapped both of his large hands around his drink. "Oh come on, Dravis. You think I'd invite you all the way out here just to shoot you? We're old buddies - remember?"

"Sure;" snickered Dravis before taking his seat. "Or at least we used to be. But I hear you've gone respectable."

Han shrugged his shoulders and waved a hand with self deprecation. "Eh, 'respectable' is such a vague word."

Dravis cocked an eye and said, "Oh well, let's be specific then. I heard you joined the Rebel Alliance, got made a General, married a former Alderaanian Princess and Jedi Knight and you got yourself a couple of twins on the way."

Han waved a dismissive hand. "Actually, I resigned the General part awhile back."

Dravis snorted. "Oh, forgive me. My mistake. So what's all this about? Some kinda warning?"

Han shot him a look. "What do you mean?"

Dravis's face hardened. "Don't play innocent, Solo. The New Republic replaces the Empire - all fine and dandy - but you know as well as I do that it's all the same to smugglers. So if this is an official invitation to cease and desist our business activities, let me laugh in your face and get outta here."

He moved to stand but Han lifted a forestalling hand. "It's nothing like that. As a matter of fact, I was hoping to hire you."

Dravis froze. "What?"

"You heard right. We're looking to hire smugglers."

Slowly, Dravis settled back in his seat. "Does this have something to do with your fight with the Empire? 'Cause if it is-"

"It isn't;" Han assured. "Look, there's a whole speel that goes along with this but what it boils down to is that the New Republic is short of cargo ships and experienced pilots. If you're looking to make some quick and honest money, this is the way to do it."

"That right?" said Dravis; "So what's the catch?"

"No catch. We need ships and pilots to get interstellar trade going again and that's all there is to it."

Dravis mulled it over before asking, "So why work for you and your pittance directly? Why can't we just smuggle the stuff and make more per trip."

Han nodded as if considering. "You could do that. But only if your customers were willing to pay the kind of money to make smuggling worthwhile. In this case..." and he grinned, "they won't."

Dravis rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Solo. A brand new government hard pressed like crazy for cash and you're telling me they won't be piling tariffs on top of each other?"

Han shrugged. "Believe anything you want. Go ahead and try it, too. And when you're convinced, give me a call."

Dravis chewed his lip, his eyes never leaving Han's. After a moment, he said, "You know, Solo, I wouldn't have come if I didn't trust you. Well... maybe I was curious too. I wanted to see what kind of scam you're pulling and I might be interested at least enough to check it out myself. But I'll tell you right up front that a lot of others in my group won't."

"Why not?"

Dravis snorted. "Because you've gone respectable that's why. Oh don't give me that hurt look. The simple fact is that you've been out of the business too long to even remember what it's like. Profits are what drive a smuggler - profit and excitement."

Han snorted himself. "So what are you going to do instead - operate in the Imperial sectors?"

"It pays;" said Dravis with a shrug. Han laughed, "For now maybe. But there territory has been shrinking for five years straight and it's just gonna keep getting smaller. We have them outgunned and a lot better trained and a hell of a lot better motivated."

"Maybe, maybe not;" said Dravis, his face containing a knowing expression. "I hear rumors that there's a new someone in charge. Someone who's been giving you a lot of trouble - like in the Ambroa Skay System for example. I hear you lost an Ilomin task force out there. Awfully sloppy, losing an entire task force like that."

Han gritted his teeth, reigning in his temper. "Well anyone who's big enough to give us trouble is going to give you trouble too. If you think the New Republic is hungry for cash, think of how hungry the Empire must be right now."

"It's certainly an adventure;" said Dravis with a grin. "Well it was nice seeing you again, Solo but I have to go. Say hi to your princess for me."

Han rolled his eyes. "Just give your people our offer, okay?"

"Oh I will," said Dravis. "There might even be some who will take you up on it. You never can tell."

Han nodded. It's all he had really come to expect from these meetings. "One other thing real fast, Dravis; I'm looking for some of the big fishes in the pond - specifically one big fish - Talon Karrde. You know where he is?"

Dravis looked levelly at him. "You know Talon Karrde, Solo?"

Han nodded. "Yeah. The Alliance helped him out back when it was still hunting down the Zann Consortium. Tyber Zann had a price on Karrde's head and we sheltered him. In payment, he gave us a lot of information about the Zann Consortium and we were able to clean up a lot of Zann's scum from a lot of worlds. They've been quiet since then but we can't seem to get in contact with Karrde. Any ideas?"

Dravis looked at him levelly. "I'm not sure I should tell you that, Solo. You might have been friends with Karrde once but things change and I know for sure that the only thing Admiral Ackbar and your Bothan mook Borsk Fey'lya agree on is that Karrde should be rung for information. It wouldn't be in my or his best interest to give you that information."

Han's jaw slackened. "What?"

Dravis looked almost apologetic. "I'm sorry, Solo, but we smugglers have to look out for our own. You understand - you lived the life. Now, I really do have to go."

Han stood. "Dravis, come on. I give you my word that I wouldn't let anything happen to Karrde or any of his people."

"Sorry Solo. Oh and by the way, tell your friend that he's the worst excuse for a back up man I've ever seen. Just thought you'd like to know."

Quickly, Dravis left, leaving Han cursing inwardly. "Come on, Chewie. Let's go."

They headed towards the entrance to the Cantina and suddenly stopped at one of the booths. "I supposed to tell you that you're the worst excuse for a back up man Dravis has ever seen."

Wedge Antilles grinned and ran a hand through his shock of black hair. "Well yeah. That was the whole idea, wasn't it?"

Han chuckled. "Yeah. So... where's Paige?"

"Right here, Sir." said a voice from right behind Han. Judder Paige was a medium height, medium build and totally non-descript man. He could disapear in a crowed and no one would ever find him. "He didn't have any back up or weapons other than that old blaster of his. He must of really trusted you, General."

Han chuckled dryly. "Progress; come on. Let's get going. We're gonna be late back to Coruscant and I want to swing by Ambroa Skay on the way."

Wedge nodded. "You want to find out what happened to that task force?"

Han nodded grimly. "Yeah and hopefully get an idea of who we are dealing with."

* * *

 **Over Mrykr - The Imperial Star Destroyer** _ **Chimera**_

Darth Diabolis was going from display to display of the artwork that Grand Admiral Thrawn had displayed in his command room. How the Grand Admiral could divine weaknesses from the art was beyond the Dark Lord's own considerable comprehension but he desired to learn. The art that was there now was a loose collection from mixed species - Mon Calamari, Humans from a dozen worlds, Bothan and so on. He could easily pick out which was which and who had made it, even easily differentiating between the different human pieces. "Lord Diabolis;" said the low, melodious voice of the Grand Admiral. Diabolis reluctantly took his eyes from the artwork and turned to gaze into the glowing red eyes of the blue skinned man. "Yes, Grand Admiral?"

"I require your assistance - or rather the assistance of one of your bio-techs. Specifically those that know how to safety remove the yslamari from there natural habitats."

Lord Diabolis smiled and took his comlink, issuing the order for his two best to be sent to the shuttle bays with the ground forces. "Teach them every trick you know."

After he had disconnected with his two specialists, he turned to Admiral Thrawn with a knowing smile. "Finding means to control me already, are you, Grand Admiral Thrawn?"

Thrawn favored him with a light chuckle. "That couldn't be further from the truth, my friend. No, these little creatures are for someone else. The Jedi or course, but also a certain Dark Jedi on a certain little-known world."

Darth Diabolis frowned. "You mean one of Palpatine's Dark Jedi? May I inquire where we are going after Myrkr?"

"The former Imperial world of Wayland will be our next destination. The Emperor..."

Diabolis nodded and said, "Yes, the Emperor had a treasure house there. The guardian is dead. He was killed by a mad clone of the Jedi Master Jorus C'Baoth. I killed the clone and a large detachment of my best soldiers and two of my own Dark Jedi Masters are guarding it."

Thrawn's eyes widened and he looked truly surprised. "Well in that case we shall not need the Yslamari so soon. How very convenient, Darth Diabolis. Will you allow me access to your mountain?"

Lord Diabolis nodded slowly. "And what, if I may ask, will you be needing from there?"

"A prototype cloaking shield and a large set of spaarti cloning cylinders."

Darth Diabolis's eyes widened. "Cloning! Fascinating! I must confess that, when I was a younger man four thousand years ago, cloning was limited to non-sentient beings. I have always been fascinated by the idea. I assume you know of the fairly recent events when an Imperial Dark Jedi and Clone tried to start another Clone War with the New Republic."

Thrawn nodded and Diabolis could sense the contempt in his voice. "Yes. Apparently Lord X1 declared himself the Dark Lord of the Sith and was stopped by his clone brother X2 but not before he made over two dozen Dark Jedi clones of quite a few of the most powerful human Jedi in the past century. Two of them are Luke Skywalker's newest students if I'm not mistaken."

Diabolis's yellow eyes widened. "You have a great source of information, Grand Admiral Thrawn. How have you come by all this?"

Respectfully, the Grand Admiral shook his head as he rose to his feet. "With respect, I think I will keep that little tidbit to myself. Never the less, thank you for access to Mount Tantis. The two items there are the keys to our success. I would appreciate it if you came with me to the bridge."

With an elegant motion for the Dark Lord to lead the way, Thrawn bowed slightly and then followed his guest. On the bridge, Captain Pellaeon was holding a conversation over the comms unit. When Thrawn and Diabolis arrived, Pellaeon finished the conversation. "Communicating with the locals, Captain?" asked Thrawn mildly. "That was a local, yes. He said his name was Talon Karrde and he had a base out in the jungles. He offered his help to acquire the yslamari but, seeing as how Darth Diabolis has provided his own specialists, I declined."

Lord Diabolis frowned. Karrde. Where had he heard that name before? Using the force, he reached back through his mind and found it. Talon Karrde, a smuggling chief and information broker who had cut ties with Tyber Zann and had bounty hunters sent after him. Karrde had dropped off the map and hadn't been heard of for a couple years. His existence had slipped from the Dark Lord's mind. He quickly commed one of his commanders and had the bounty removed. Having it placed on the smuggler chief had been a mistake from the beginning. The kind of information he could supply would be worth far too much. Grand Admiral Thrawn was watching him with interest. Lord Diabolis explained, "There was a price on his head placed by Tyber Zann. It has now been removed for the moment. His knowledge would be far more useful if purchased willingly than forced."

"Of course;" replied Grand Admiral Thrawn. "Captain, make a note of the location of his base. When the acquisition teams have completed their tasks, we will head to Wayland."

 **Updated 12.04.2017**


	3. Chapter 3: Treasure Mountain

**Wayland**

It took the _Chimaera_ and the _Ascendant_ five days to reach Wayland but that was alright. It took that long for Diabolis's specialists to educate the Stormtroopers, soldiers and technicians of the Empire how to equip and maintain an yslamari nutri-frame.

Captain Pellaeon and Grand Admiral Thrawn sat across from Darth Diabolis and Lady Silri as the shuttle descended towards the planet. The Imperial Captain was as uncomfortable as always and Thrawn said with an amused smile, "Do try to relax, Captain. I would hate for you to offend our allies. Lady Silri may decide you would serve her better as a second husband."

Diabolis laughed quietly at that and Silri smirked, brazenly looking Pellaeon up and down before turning her eyes on the Grand Admiral. "I'm afraid he is a bit elderly and authoritative for my taste, Grand Admiral Thrawn. You, on the other hand, would be a new experience for me. Perhaps I may slip into your quarters and steal YOU away. A Dark Lord as my first husband and a Grand Admiral as my second - my clan would be envious indeed."

Thrawn's Noghri bodyguard looked at her balefully with his large, black eyes but Admiral Thrawn chuckled. "I'm afraid you would quite quickly find me very unamusing. I'm rather eccentric and would not be very useful when it came to labor."

Silri chuckled and conceded. Pellaeon looked even more displeased than before. He apparently did not find trading jibes with a Dathomir witch to be appropriate for the Grand Admiral of an Imperial fleet.

When the shuttle landed, a group of soldiers met them. Thrawn watched quietly as twenty silver and black armored troopers and two black robed men strode and bowed before the Dark Lord. "Darth Diabolis, we are honored by your presence;" said one, a very elderly man. Darth Diabolis nodded and the twenty armored soldiers formed on either side of the party. Eagerly, the younger Dark Jedi began to report the findings within the mountain. "We received your message, my Lord, and have found the spaarti cylinders. Thus far, we have discovered that a high percentage of them are still functional. We have also found the complete schematics of the cloaking shield and are running simulated tests on them. Thus far, everything looks promising."

"Well done, my young friend. What about the other items we spoke of? Were they found?" asked the Dark Lord calmly. The young Dark Jedi smiled and said, "I think, my Lord, that you will find your expectation exceeded this time. Whenever you are ready, I will show you my findings."

Diabolis turned to Grand Admiral Thrawn. "Everything is coming together as we have planned thus far but now, I believe it is time that we finalized the plans of this partnership. Come."

As they continued, Thrawn quietly commented on the differences between the architecture of the buildings and designs of them, pointing out, with some wonder, that three different species and cultures lived in harmony together. They headed towards one great house together - a house that Thrawn pointed out was constructed using elements of all three architectural designs. Captain Pellaeon seemed as though he was humoring the Grand Admiral and Darth Diabolis felt ripple after ripple of amusement from his lover and apprentice.

The two Dark Jedi Masters led them into the large house. Inside, a table and refreshments were set up. Darth Diabolis motioned for his guests to sit before he and Silri sat themselves. The two Dark Jedi bowed and removed themselves. For a moment, and not for the first time, Diabolis and Thrawn studied one another. After several long minutes, Darth Diabolis smiled and said, "As agreed, the spaarti cylinders and cloaking shield schematics are yours, Grand Admiral Thrawn. However, you mentioned something else that you required of me or my Dark Jedi. I think it is time that we place all of our requests and needs for this operation on the table, so to speak. Oh and Admiral Thrawn, as a sign of good will to you, I return the three Noghri commando teams under my command to your service."

Silri looked at him, sharp surprise written on he face. Thrawn bowed slightly from his seat. "I thank you. However, I think we should discuss the outcome of this campaign. If we are successful, what will happen? Will you continue spreading corruption as Tyber Zann did or will you become the next Emperor? Will you attempt to kill me or will you banish me back into the Unknown Regions to continue mapping?"

Diabolis considered the questions. "Perhaps we should discuss how we will conquer the New Republic first."

Thrawn smiled tightly and said, "We must determine whether an alliance is truly even possible before I reveal my plan, Lord Diabolis."

The Dark Lord considered for a moment before saying, "Tell me something, Grand Admiral Thrawn - why did the Emperor send someone as tactically brilliant as yourself into the Unknown Regions when you better than any could have defeated the Rebel Alliance? I find it very hard to believe that some political squabbling during which you chose the losing side was the real cause for your exile. The records I studied on Ryloth seem very contradictory."

Thrawn smiled thinly. "Very good, my Lord. Your insight serves you well. The reason that I was sent out into the Unknown Regions was for far more than just a mapping expedition. While creating and recording charts of the Unknown Regions was certainly one goal, the ultimate mission was to make allies and conquer worlds and also to identify any threats that may be out there."

Darth Diabolis nodded. He had suspected as much. "Tell me, Grand Admiral Thrawn, what did you find out there?"

Thrawn's expression grew dark and distant. "There are a hundred terrible enemies out there, Darth Diabolis - enemies that, if they were to attack now, could wipe out this galaxy and every living being in it. That is why this galaxy needs to be unified."

Diabolis nodded again. His former master, Darth Revan, had suspected as much. After a long moment of silence, Diabolis said, "How do you see this ending, Grand Admiral Thrawn? Who will rule this Empire once it is re-conquered?"

Thrawn chuckled. "I don't care who rules the Empire, Lord Diabolis. I would happily endorse you as Emperor so long as you allow me to take supreme command of your military so that I may best prepare for the many threats against this galaxy. It is my place to command but not to rule."

Darth Diabolis nodded his head. He could tell that the Grand Admiral was telling the truth. Leaning back in his chair, Diabolis said, "I can accept that, Grand Admiral Thrawn."

I didn't escape his notice that Captain Pellaeon looked abhorred at the idea of having a non-Imperial ruling the galaxy but he wisely held his peace. Thrawn nodded his blue and black head in satisfaction. "Good. The cylinders and the cloaking shield schematics are only the beginning - a small part of the plan we need to conquer this self proclaimed New Republic. Tell me, Lord Diabolis, what obstacles do you see in our path?"

Diabolis looked mildly surprised. "What do you mean, Grand Admiral Thrawn? I thought the obstacles would have been obvious. There is the New Republic Fleet and Army, though my intelligence indicates that they are thinly spread and wanting for supplies. Of course, there is also the New Jedi Order. Luke Skywalker and his followers are slowly beginning to spread out through the galaxy as more of them become full-fledged Jedi. Besides that, we have limited resources of our own. Financially, Tyber Zann left me quite a tidy some of money. However we have a limited number of war ships, weapons and personnel and limited supplies as well not to mention few facilities to build ships and train personnel. They control the majority of the shipyards."

Thrawn nodded. "Continue, my Lord."

Diabolis realized that Thrawn was testing him and studying his responses. After contemplation, he sighed and said, "I'm afraid I'm not sure what other obstacles I can think of, Grand Admiral Thrawn."

The blue skinned being smiled and said, "Is that so? What about the fact that the New Republic's personnel are better trained than ours; or that they have a greater motivation and higher morale; or that Skywalker's Jedi are better trained than yours? or the fact that, for the most part at least, the people of the galaxy are happy with this new government?"

Diabolis chuckled. He knew that, as far as tactics and strategy, he looked too much at the big picture and not enough at the details. "Of course you are correct, Grand Admiral Thrawn. Tell me, how do we consider these problems?"

The Grand Admiral sipped from his cup before replying. "As far as the obvious problems, my Lord, they are too broad for us to simply tackle, I'm afraid. Solving them will take careful planning and long processes. The details though, those little, tiny details that so often escape notice, those we can begin to take care of. Tell me, Captain Pellaeon, why is it that our fleet lost the Battle at Endor?"

Everyone was a little surprised at the sudden change of topic. Captain Pellaeon swallowed and said, "I'm sorry, Admiral. Can you repeat the question?"

"How did just over a hundred war ships successfully defeat Darth Vader's personal fleet plus the second Death Star itself? You were there, Captain. How did it happen?"

Captain Pellaeon looked down, his eyes dark and distant from the memory. After the destruction of the Death Star and the flight of Admiral Piett and his ship, the Star Dreadnaught _Executor,_ it had all fallen apart. While he sat silently, gathering his thoughts, Grand Admiral Thrawn turned to Darth Diabolis. "How much do you know about the Battle of Endor, my Lord?"

Diabolis reached back in his memory. "I heard and read that the Emperor himself was on the Death Star and that, as you said, Darth Vader's personal fleet was there. A commando unit landed in two disguised Imperial ships and destroyed the shield, allowing the fighter units of the Rebel Alliance to destroy the Death Star. According to the records I've studied, Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade also managed to go aboard and kill Darth Vader and the Emperor."

Thrawn smiled thinly again. "You are looking at the whole picture again, my Lord. Captain?"

Pellaeon looked up and said in a confident voice that was a mask for his discomfort and shame. "Just as the fleet thought that we had them pinned, we received word that the shield was down. Minutes later, something happened. Our coordination faltered, our morale fell and it seemed as though everything simply fell apart. Then the _Executer_ fled. I tried to take command and turn the fight but the Death Star was destroyed and it was over."

Thrawn nodded. "Yes. Everything fell apart once the Emperor died."

Pellaeon's head came up and his eyes narrowed. "The Emperor was NOT directing the battle, Admiral. I know. I was there. Not in any way. Everything can be easily explained from the loss of morale and the normal confusion of battle stress."

"Really, Captain? You expect me to accept that six Star Destroyers were lost in engagements that should have given them no trouble at all, to accept that Admiral Piett, one of the most promising officers in the Navy, fled and to accept the last minute incompetence of our TIE fighter pilots and that all were caused by low morale and battle stress and confusion? It is time you gave up your blindfold and face the truth, Captain Gillad Pellaeon, no matter how bitter you might find it."

"And what is that?" Pellaeon all but snapped. Thrawn's voice was hard. "You had no real fighting spirit of your own - no will. None of you did. You were all driven by the Emperor's will and by the Emperor's mind as if you were all borg implanted into a combat computer."

"That's not true;" Pellaeon shot back, though the conviction was beginning to drain away, "It can't be. We fought on after his death."

Thrawn nodded. "Yes. You fought on - like cadets."

The two men stared at one another until Darth Diabolis cleared his throat politely. "So I take it that you want myself or one of my more powerful Dark Jedi Masters to mimic what Palpatine was able to do."

Thrawn turned to him with a respectful smile. "Not at all, my Lord. My anology with combat borg inplants was a carefully considered one. The Emperor's fatal error was to try and control the entire Imperial Fleet personally and as completely and as long as possible. I only wish that their skills, focus, coordination and so on be enhanced and then only at critical times during very specific combat situations."

Lord Diabolis nodded his head. "So it is the ancient art of Battle Meditation that you want, Grand Admiral Thrawn. I myself am not particularly skilled but there are several who are. However, I will need to retrieve several ancient artifacts from the Sith world of Ziost before we can continue. My historian has searched long and hard for it and I believe that it is the key to making this happen."

Thrawn's blue-black eyebrows rose slightly. "Oh?"

Darth Diabolis nodded. "Not even my most powerful Dark Jedi Master can effect battles over lightyears by his own strength in the force. It would take someone as powerful as Palpatine to do so."

"And you cannot do this yourself, Lord Diabolis?" asked Pellaeon calmly. The Dark Lord shook his head with an indulgent smile. "I'm afraid not, Captain. Everyone has their skills. This is not one of mine I'm afraid."

Thrawn nodded and sipped his drink again. "Then retrieve your artifacts, my Lord and let us begin. First, however, let us go into the mountain and retrieve what we need."

A search that would have taken any number of hours had Diabolis's garrison not prepared was cut down to two. The cloaking shield and the cloning cylinders were found and work began immediately.

* * *

Captain Pellaeon settled himself as he entered the Grand Admiral's command room. "A word with you, Admiral?"

"Certainly, Captain;" said Thrawn from his seat at the center of his command room, surrounded by the double circle of repeater displays. "Come in. Has there been any update from the Imperial Palace?"

"No, Sir. Not since yesterdays. I could request one if you'd like."

Thrawn shook his head. "Probably unnecessary. It looks like the details of the Bimmisaari trip have been more or less settled. All we have to do is alert one of our commando groups - Team Eight, I think - and we'll have our Jedi."

"Yes Sir;" Pellaeon braced himself. "Admiral, I must tell you that I am not convinced that letting Diabolis rule when this is all over is a wise idea."

Thrawn cocked a blue-black eyebrow as Pellaeon continued. "None of the Empire's other leaders would accept him. They would see him as an outsider and an interloper. What's more, he's another Sith Lord. Is it wise to support putting someone like Darth Vader on the throne?"

Thrawn gave a low, melodious chuckle. "Captain, our glorious late-Emperor was a Dark Lord of the Sith as well by the name of Darth Sidious. Palpatine was just the name he used in public."

Pellaeon wanted to deny it, wanted to tell Thrawn that he was mistaken but the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. The Emperor was very powerful and, especially if what Thrawn had said during their meeting with Diabolis was true, had commanded frightening and unspeakable power. There were so many rumors about the Emperor during the height of the Empire. Some said that he was a puppet for Vader. Some said that the Moffs only claimed that he existed and disguised one of their members whenever it was required for the Emperor to make a public appearance. Some even believed that he was a Jedi Master who had learned the most powerful skills in the mysterious force. "I can see the gears turning in your mind, Captain. I can see the realization dawning on you;" Grand Admiral Thrawn almost purred. "With so many of Skywalker's Jedi in the galaxy now, we need the support of our own or else we will never stand a chance - not with every remaining Star Destroyer and not with every remaining Stormtrooper and not even with all the strategic and tactical genius in the universe. The force must be our ally."

Pellaeon wanted to continue the argument but it was clear that Grand Admiral Thrawn's mind was made up. "Would you like me to send a transmission to Team Eight, Admiral?"

"No, I'll do it myself - being their fearless leader and all that. You know how Noghri are. If there's nothing else, Captain?"

It was clearly a dismissal. "No sir;" Pellaeon said and turned to go. As he headed towards the doors, Thrawn called after him. "This will bring us victory, Captain. Silence your fears and concentrate on that."

* * *

 **Coruscant - Imperial Palace**

Han Solo finished his reports and waited for the criticisms to start. "So once again, your smuggler friends refuse to commit themselves;" said the Mon Calamari Supreme Commander Ackbar, sounding both vindicated and disgusted. "I'd like to remind everyone that I was against this from the beginning."

"It's not a matter of commitment, Admiral. It's just that they don't see any real gain from switching from their current activities and business to working for the New Republic. To them, it's no different than smuggling under the Empire."

"Or perhaps it's a lack of trust;" came a melodic alien voice. Han closed his eyes and counted to ten. "Could that be it?"

"It's possible;" said Han.

"Possible?" asked the Bothon, Borsk Fey'lya. "You said that it was possible?"

Han sighed and counted to ten again. He might as well get it out there. "Some of the groups I talked to don't trust us. They think the offer might be a trap to bring them out into the open."

"Because of me, of course;" snapped Admiral Ackbar, his normal salmon turning darker. "Haven't you tired of retaking the same territory, Councilor Fey'lya?"

The Bothan's eyes widened again and he silently gazed at Ackbar and the tension in the room became worse. They had always been rivals, ever since Fey'lya had brought his faction of Bothans firmly into the Alliance's fold. Ever since, Fey'lya had been dealing and jockeying for position and had made it perfectly clear that he expected a high position in the fledgling government. Ackbar had considered such ambition to be a dangerous waste of time and effort especially considering the precarious position the Alliance had been in at the time. With his typical bluntness, he had made those sentiments perfectly clear as well. Given Ackbar's reputation and successes, Han had no doubt that Fey'lya would have been shunted off to some unimportant government post if it hadn't happened that the spies who had discovered the secret location for the second Death Star were all Fey'lya's Bothans. Having been absent most of the time, Han had never discovered how that little piece had been used by Fey'lya to secure the position he now had and he was fairly certain he didn't want to know. "I merely seek to clarify the situation in my own mind. It's hardly worthwhile for us to send a valuable asset like Captain Solo on these contact missions if each is pre-doomed to failure."

Han stiffened and Leia sent him a warning look. "They're not pre-doomed to failure. The kind of smugglers we're looking for are conservative business men. They'll come around once they weigh the odds and test the waters."

Fey'lya shrugged. "And in the mean time, we spend a great deal of time and effort with nothing to show for it."

Han all but growled, "Look, you can't build up any -"

A hammer tap from the head of the table cut off the argument. "What the smugglers are waiting for," Mon Mothma said calmly, looking each being at the table in the eye, "is the same thing that the rest of the galaxy is waiting for: the formal reestablishment of the principles and law of the Old Republic. That is our first and primary task, Councilors - to become the New Republic in fact as well as in name."

Han caught Leia's eye and sent her a warning look this time. Leia grimaced, but nodded slightly and kept silent. Finally, after a long silence, she said, "We Thank you for your report, Captain Solo. With that report, we are adjourned."

Quickly, Han and Leia scooted out but only of Mon Mothma informed them of a request by the Bimms that Luke go with them to Bimmisaari. Once they were out of the council room, Han chuckled and said, "Well Mara sure isn't going to appreciate that;"

Leia chuckled too. "I made Luke tell her. I'm sure he'll recover sufficiently in time to leave."

Han nodded. "So when exactly is Mon Mothma going to allow you to get back to your Jedi Training?"

She sighed. "I don't know. It won't be any time soon, though. If I were to hazard a guess, she probably thinks that the New Jedi Order has plenty of students - especially after those two clones."

Han shivered, "They still give me the creeps."

Leia gave him a pointed look. "Why? Ferroda never creeped you out."

"Well that's because I knew him for almost a year before I ever learned that he was a clone. Those two though -" and he shook his head. "Who did Luke say they were clones of again?"

Leia pursed her lips. "Two Jedi Masters named Dooku and Mace Windu, I think he said. Master Kanan seems to think that's true as well."

Han shuddered again and Leia couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, Han. Let's get ready to go."

* * *

Luke stepped into the penthouse and readied himself for facing a pregnant and angry Mara Jade-Skywalker. She was already standing there, leaning against a counter in the kitchen, her arms crossed and an expectant expression on her face. Luke knew that she knew what he was going to say already. Their bond had been opened throughout the entire conversation and Mara had done nothing to hide her displeasure. After a moment of silence, Luke sighed and lifted his arms, "The force preserve me. I submit myself to my fate."

It had the desired effect. Mara's lovely face broke into a smile and she even chuckled a little. "Are they ever going to let you be a Jedi without hauling your ass all over the galaxy on random diplomatic missions?"

Luke walked over to her and leaned against the counter beside her. "If we're being fair, this is the first one they've sent me on in quite some time. Not only that, Jedi of the Old Republic were quite often sent on missions like this - if not as guardians then as ambassadors."

Mara nodded. "Okay, that's fair but why do they have to send YOU? Couldn't someone else handle it - like Kanan or Nisotsa or just about anyone else?"

"Apparently the Bimms are also quite 'hero oriented' - Leia's words, not mine - and, despite what is a matter of public record, they still think I'm the one who killed the Emperor and saved the galaxy;" Luke said, his face turning red, a remnant of that farm boy humility and embarrassment that remained after so many years. Mara chuckled and moved into his arms. "But you ARE a hero. You're my hero."

Her voice had taken that maddening sultry tone that she did so well. After a tender, loving kiss, Mara sighed and said, "Fine. You have my permission to go but if you get hurt, preggers or not, I am going to kick your near-perfect ass."

Luke laughed and kissed her again before saying, "Oh thank you. What ever would I have done if you had withheld permission?"

Mara separated from him and ducked into the refridgeration unit as she replied, "Oh you would have gone and I would have been mad for the first two days or so but then I would start to miss you and would do what I always do when you walk through the door."

"Stand leaning against the counter with your arms crossed and glaring at me;" asked Luke, knowing full well he was treading on thin ice but unable to resist the playful jab. Mara's red-gold hair and brilliant green eyes glared sternly at him over the top of the refrigeration unit's door. "No;" she said, "I would grab you, kiss you, drag you to the nearest comfortable service and rock your kriffing universe."

Luke felt his mind flash with several rather intense and intimate memories of occasions when he had come home from assingments and Mara and had done just that. He smiled, "I'll hurry home then."

Mara came out of the fridge with a jar of pickled roots in one hand and butter made out of some nuts from Corellia. "You'd better, Farmboy."

Luke chuckled as she proceeded to take one of the roots and slather it with the butter before eating it. She glared at him as she took another bite. "It's not smart to laugh at a pregnant woman, Skywalker - especially not one who's experiencing cravings."

Luke nodded and apologized, as he always did, for being such a horrible husband. The love and affection that flowed through their bond told Luke that she thought him the greatest husband in the galaxy and the adoration and love that Mara felt coming from Luke told her that he thought her the greatest and most beautiful wife. Discarding her roots and butter, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. When the kiss was over, Luke couldn't help but burst into laughter. "What are you laughing at?" she growled playfully. Luke replied through another series of chuckles. "You taste likes pickled roots and Corellian nut butter."

Mara laughed to before kissing him again.

 **Updated 12.04.2017**


	4. Chapter 4: Assassination Attempts

Han set the _Falcon_ down with just the barest few bumps on the uneven ground and announced, "Well, here we are: Bimmisaari - fur and moving plants a speciatly."

Leia looked at him reproachfully as she unstrapped. "None of that;"

She was a little nervous about the coming diplomatic meetings and Luke gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "You'll do fine."

Leia smiled and sent him a thank you for the special twin-sibling force bond. Han turned away with a mumble. "I wish you two wouldn't do that. It's like listening to half of a conversation."

Luke blushed slightly, "Sorry. It just comes natural."

He looked out the front viewport and said, "Looks like our reception committee is coming. I'll go get Threepio ready."

"We'll be there in a minute;" Leia called after him before turning to Han. "You ready?"

Han adjusted his blaster and holster and replied, "Yeah;" before calling out to Chewbacca, "Last chance to change your mind, Chewie."

The Wookiee gave a gruff, curt reply. Leia still couldn't fully understand the strange, grunting, growling language but she was getting better at it all the time and, though the exact meaning of the words wasn't entirely clear, their over all meaning couldn't be more so. Han pulled a face, "Oh come on, you've been fawned over before - remember that big awards thing at Yavin base? I didn't hear you complaining then."

Leia hid a smile. "It's alright, Han. If he wants to stay aboard with Artoo and work on the stabilizers, that's fine. The Bimms won't be offended."

Han looked out at the short little fur balls and muttered, "I wasn't worried about offending them. I just thought it'd be good to have a little extra backup along - just in case."

Leia chuckled as she laced her arm through her husbands. "The Bimms are a friendly people. There won't be any trouble."

Han snorted a little and said, "I've heard that before;" as he pulled his comlink from a small storage compartment beside his seat. He started to clip it to his belt; changed direction mid-motion and fastened it to his collar instead.

Leia giggled. "Looks good there; are you going to put your old general's insignia on your belt now?"

Han shot her a look and said, "Very funny. With the comlink here, all I have to do is casually reach up and switch it on and I'll be able to talk to Chewie without being obvious about it."

Leia nodded, still smiling. "Ah. Sounds like you've been spending too much time with Lieutenant Page and his commandos - again."

"I've been spending too much time sitting in on Council meetings," he countered, sliding out of his seat and standing. "After four years of watching political infighting, you learn the occasional value of subtlety. Come on, Chewie. We'll need you to lock up behind us."

Luke and Threepio were waiting by the boarding hatch. "Ready?" Luke asked them. Leia nodded and, with a hiss, the hatch opened and they walked down the ramp to where their yellow-clad, half-furred hosts waited.

The arrival ceremony was short and mostly unintelligible. Threepio did his best to translate the five-part harmony that the whole thing seemed to be written in. The welcome song ended and two of the Bimms stepped forward, one of them continuing the greeting while the other help up a small device. Threepio dutifully translated, "He offeres greetings to Distinguished Visitor councilor Leia Organa-Solo and hopes your discussions with the Law Elders will be fruitful. He also requests that Captain Solo return his weapon to the ship."

Leia frowned. "What was that last, Threepio?"

The droid patiently replied, "Captain Solo must leave his blaster aboard the ship, your Highness. Weapons of violence are not permitted within the city. There are no exceptions."

Han muttered, "Terrific;" as he unbuckled and rolled his blaster belt. "You didn't tell me this was coming."

Leia shook her head. "I didn't know this was coming. Doesn't look like we have any choice either; here, take my holdout blaster with you. If it were to be confiscated, I think my beloved sister-in-law would murder me."

Luke chuckled. Mara would be very displeased. Han took the small yet very powerful blaster and attached its holster to his own blaster belt. " _Diplomacy_ ;" he muttered, as if the word was a disgusting curse. "Happy?" he asked grouchily. Leia smiled sweetly. "Aren't I always?"

She turned to Threepio and said, "Tell them we're ready."

The droid obeyed and the two Bimms stepped aside and politely gestured back the direction they had come. They were perhaps twenty meters away from the _Falcon_ when Leia suddenly realized that an object was slapping her thigh lightly. In the privacy of their minds, she sent to Luke, _They didn't insist we take our lightsabers back to the ship._

 _Yes, I know. Maybe they figure it's just part of the proper Jedi's outfit._

Leia thought about it, keeping her face more or less expressionless. _Perhaps their weapons scanners can't read lightsabers. Either way, what they don't know won't hurt them - I hope._

Han gave a low whistle at the sight ahead. "Would you look at that crowd?"

The crowed was waiting where the path left the forest and there were hundreds of them standing twenty deep on either side of the way. The reception committee shifted to single file and started down the gauntlet without giving the crowd a second glance. As they passed through, the Bimms reached out and touched them with feathery lightness on the shoulder or head and they were all fervently glad that Chewie had stayed behind. The Wookiee violently hated beings pawed by strangers. As they walked, one of the Bimms pointed out a largish building and sang some notes. "He says that is the Tower of Law up ahead. It's the location of their planetary council."

Leia nodded and indicated another structure beside the Tower of Law. "What is that three-level dome - the one with the sides and most of the roof cut away?"

The droid inquired, received an answer and replied, "That is the city's main market place. The Bimms do prefer the open air whenever possible."

Han murmured behind her, "I've seen that design before. I bet that the roof probably stretches over that dome framework when the weather gets bad.

Threepio conversed with their Bimm guide before telling Han, "He says that perhaps you can have a tour of the establishment before you leave?"

"Great!" Han side, mildly sardonic, "Looks like a great place to get souvenirs."

Leia shot him a warning glance, "Quiet, or you can with on the _Falcon_ with Chewie."

* * *

They entered the Tower of Law and discovered that the talks would have to be shortly postponed. Apparently the chief negotiator became quite ill only moments before they had entered. Leia expressed her sympathies and offered help. The Bimms graciously acknowledged her offer but declined, saying that the illness was one of a rather personal nature. In the mean time, they were offered the tour of the open air market. All agreed but Threepio said, "Master Luke, sir, he suggests that you might enjoy a look at the Tower's upper chambers. Apparently there are some fascinating artifacts that you and Captain Solo would find interesting."

Luke and Han looked at each other, warning bells going off in their heads. Leia's too. "I think;" she said carefully, "that they would also enjoy the open air market."

"According to the Bimms, they would most likely find it exceedingly dull."

Han, not willing to leave his pregnant wife's side for a moment, said in a low, suspicious voice, "I like markets. I like them a lot."

They both looked at Luke. He chewed a lip for a moment but then shrugged, "I don't sense and duplicity from them - at least nothing beyond that which comes with normal politics."

Leia's tension eased but Han still looked suspicious. She smiled and said, "If that's the case, we accept."

* * *

Han felt naked without his blaster as they walked through the market. It was filled with dozens of species other than just the Bimms. Leia murmured to him, "You can see why this place is worth getting into the New Republic."

"I guess so;" Han replied, looking at a selection of fine metal wear. The owner sang out an offer and Han moved back, a polite half smile on his face as he said, "No thanks;" but the fury little thing just sang faster and gestured more earnestly. Trying not to scowl, Han looked at Threepio and said, "Goldenrod, can you tell him, we're not buying right now?"

The golden droid didn't reply. He was just staring into the crowd. "Hey, Threepio, I'm talking to you."

"Oh;" said the droid, as if snapping out of a daze, "I am terribly sorry, Captain Solo, but our host seems to have disappeared."

Han's eyes narrowed and he looked around as he growled, "What do you mean disappeared?"

The droid was right. Their guide had disappeared in a see of yellow garments and crowds of dozens of different kinds of sentient beings. Leia moved closer to Han, murmuring, "I have a really bad feeling about this."

"Yeah;" muttered Han. "Come on. Let's get back to the tower."

Suddenly, he froze. Less than twelve meters away in front of them were three short aliens - aliens in hooded robes with large black eyes and protruding jaws, needle sharp teeth poking out of their mouths. "Oh boy;" he muttered, instinctively reaching for a blaster he already knew wasn't there. "We've got trouble, Sweetheart."

They looked around and found that they were surrounded in a rough circle by eight of the short beings. Leia reached out and sensed two more on the upper levels of the market. Looking, she saw that they had DXR-6 Disruptor Rifles trained on them. They were nasty weapons, illegal in most Imperial and New Republic systems. Han reached for his comlink and the aliens pulled E-11 blaster rifles and lifted them to their hips, still hidden from view to the surrounding aliens with just the barrels showing. Han stopped his motion, spreading both his hands to the sides to show he was unarmed. "We're in trouble, Sweetheart;" he said tensely. "Any fun Jedi tricks?"

Leia was reaching out to Luke but something suddenly cut it off. The aliens were using backpacks with those strange creatures that they had run into when facing the Zann Consortium before - yslamari they were called. She hoped that the urgency of their situation had made it through to Luke. "He's in trouble too, Han;" she murmured and readied herself to defend herself and her husband, her hand ready to drop to her lightsaber.

* * *

Luke had caught only the first half of Leia's mental message but the intent and the situation was abundantly clear. They were in trouble. He turned and left the room only to find eight short, hooded and robed aliens with black eyes and needle teeth poking out from protruding jaws. Each of them had an yslamari back pack and each had an Imperial standard issue E-11 blaster rifle - all pointed at him. Luke instinctively backpedaled into the room he came out of and yanked his lightsaber from his belt. The green blade sprang to life as they opened fire. Luke batted away the blaster bolts but he was off balance, catching them only because he had not yet gotten caught up in the yslamari force bubble. He ran to the window and found that he was still quite high - too high to survive the drop. He whipped around and grabbed several objects with the force, hurling them at the creatures, gaining enough momentum to smash into his enemies, causing those in the front to get slightly tangled with those in the front. It was just enough for him to propel himself towards them, using the force to push against the wall and floor so that he was carried quickly into the first group without the yslamari field affecting his speed and momentum. The first three, he cut down in a single slash. Two engaged him with long knives and very finely honed martial skill but the others retreated into the hall. Despite not having the force, Luke held his own against the two assassins. He had trained for years with Alliance Special Forces and Mara as well who was better than any two hand to hand combat experts he had ever come across. Even so, these creatures were good. Luke narrowly avoiding being fatally stabbed or cut by sheer reflex and luck; He was able to kill one with his lightsaber before leaping and rolling forward into the midst of the others before they could even open fire. The leap and roll were not force powered but it still managed to carry him the distance and he managed to cut another two of them down and open fire with a holdout blaster he had kept hidden in his boot. Even as he fired, he mentally winced and thought, _Leia is going to kill me when she finds out._

There were now only two left and they took cover. Whoever and whatever these creatures were, they were professionals and as well trained as the very best military commandos he had ever seen if not even better trained. Luke took cover and began systematically killing the yslamari he could his from his cover. The other two alien commandos were moving in, covering one another as each moved. Luke decided that a tactical retreat was better than trying to take them on. He used the force to send the dead aliens at their companions in a wave and ran down the hall, running into another room and slamming the door. It was made of finely carved wood and wouldn't hold more than a few moments. Luke looked down and saw that he could leap onto the top tear of the market if he leaped far enough and quite possibly even slow his fall enough to land standing. Galen Marek had taught him how to slow his fall and land softly but Luke was still less than confident in the ability. Blasterfire was tearing the door apart so Luke took a couple steps back and ran forward, leaping as far as he could. As soon as he was sure he would make, he gathered the force beneath him and imagined it forming a solid barrier between him and the market roof. It worked fairly well, slowing him enough to land as lightly as if he had just hopped on level ground. Reaching out with the force, Luke sensed several things. Two of those things were two more alien minds intently aiming at Leia, Han and Threepio. The last thing was a ring where he couldn't sense anything surrounding his family. Moving fast, Luke found one of the two alien snipers and cut it down. The other turned its fire on him and Luke dodged, recognizing that he would not be able to deplect the disruptor beams his enemy's weapon. It would ignore his lightsaber blade and strike him if he wasn't careful. Luke stretched out with the force and snatched the weapon from his enemy's hands. To Luke's surprise, the alien snarled and leaped at him, an assassin's knife in one hand. With the force as his ally, Luke was easily able to subdue the alien before hurrying down to join his sister and brother-in-law.

Leia had drawn her lightsaber and was guarding Han and Threepio as best as she could, only intercepting the bolts she was sure they would hit one of the three of them. These little aliens were highly skilled and she was hard pressed. Leia's skill lay more in negotiation and meditation, especially battle meditation, than in lightsaber combat. Even so, she was a Jedi and the force was her ally. Suddenly, Luke pummeled out of nowhere and attacked four of the attackers. A silvery object flipped through the air and Han reflexively caught it. It was a sleek, chrome plated holdout blaster and Han immediately opened fire. The aliens ran for cover but, suddenly, the Bimms were screaming and mobbed those that were still alive. Luke leaped and he and Leia took guard stances as they began retreating towards the edge of the the city. Han tried to contact Chewbacca but, as he feared, the comms were jammed. The aliens suddenly broke free from the throng, their knives red with blood and they were in pursuit. There were only four of them left now and Luke, Han and Leia turned to face them. "Han, the yslamari;" said Leia. Han knelt and took careful aim. Leia and Luke advanced on the enemy. They spread out, directing their fire at the two Jedi but were then forced to dodge and avoid the blaster bolts reflected back at them. One by one, the yslamari were picked off and Luke and Leia used the force to grip their enemies and drag them to the ground. In a harsh voice, Luke growled, "Surrender!"

The aliens attacked with their knives, forcing the Jedi to kill three of them before Luke pinned the last to the wall with the force. "I said surrender!"

The creature began to splutter and curse in a gravely, mewing language. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a blaster bolt took him through the head. Leia and Luke whipped around but they saw no one. Whoever had killed the alien was gone now. Han looked anxious. "Come on. Let's get back to the _Falcon_."

* * *

Leia and Threepio were on the comms unit, speaking to the Bimms while Luke and Han were in the cockpit, silently ruminating on what had happened and on the strange aliens that had tried to kill them. Luke reached out and realized that Leia was done on the comms. "I'll check on the droids and Leia."

Han nodded absently. Luke went to his sister and said, "How are you doing?"

She smiled tiredly and said, "Well I ran a simple med scan on myself and I'm all good there. So are the babies as far as I can tell. None of them are sending me anything that says their in distress."

Luke sighed with relief. "Good."

Leia nodded. "We'll have to ask around when we get back down there about those aliens."

Luke's eyes widened. "Wait, we're going back down there?"

Leia frowned, "We have to go back down, Luke - you know that. This is a diplomatic mission and it would be considered bad form to pull out right after engaging in a firefight with some of their guests."

Luke looked surprised and almost indignant at the idea of their attackers being the Bimms' guests. "Well considering the situation of nearly being assassinated by a team of highly lethal alien commandos, I think the Bimms will understand. Besides, should we even be in negotiations with the Bimms if those beings were their guests?"

Leia's eyes narrowed and she said very calmly and diplomatically, "The Bimms may not have known what those aliens intended."

"One of them most certainly did - at least the fellow who told Han and you to give up your blasters if no one else."

Leia's narrowed eyes gained an edge and she said, "Ah yes - blasters. Funny you should bring that up, Luke Skywalker."

Before she could continue, Luke lifted a hand, keeping himself from rolling his blue eyes by sheer force of will, "Leia, just don't. The only reason that Bimm even said that was to lead us unarmed into a trap. They clearly didn't care about those aliens being HEAVILY and ILLEGALLY armed."

Leia crossed her arms and nearly shouted, "But we didn't know that, Luke. You could very well have caused an intergalactic incident for all we knew by keeping that blaster."

Luke sighed and said, "I know. The truth is I didn't even remember I was carrying it."

He rolled up the leg of his trousers to reveal a ankle holster, a gift from his wonderful, beloved wife. He smiled sheepishly. "What can I say? I've gotten so used to it that I totally forgot about it. It's become a lot like carrying my lightsaber. It's just a part of me now."

Leia still glared at him and Luke reached a hand across and squeezed her arm. "I'm sorry, Leia. If I had remembered, I promise I would have put it up in the _Falcon_. I wasn't trying to cause trouble and I think you know it."

After glaring silently for a few more moments, Leia sighed and said, "The only reason I believe you is because you aren't devious enough to do something like that. Or maybe you are and are just much better at hiding it. Regardless, Mara has clearly become a bad influence on you."

Luke laughed and couldn't help but agree with her. "In all seriousness though, Luke, we do need to go back down there."

"Of course we do;" said Han, stepping into the lounge and crossing his arms, which was never a good sign. "And we will when we return."

Leia looked questioningly at him. "Return?" She quickly realized what he had done and gasped, "You didn't."

Han nodded. "Of course I did, Princess. Made the jump to lightspeed heading back towards Coruscant two minutes ago."

Leia jumped up and nearly shrieked, "Han! I told them we were coming right back down."

Han nodded calmly. "Yup and I told them it would be a bit longer - at least until we can have a squadron of X-wings and preferably a Star Cruiser or Destroyer and some of Pages or Ferroda's commandos."

"But what if you've offended them?" snapped Leia. "Do you have any idea how much work went into this mission?"

Han's voice and eyes hardened. "As a matter of fact, I do. I also have a pretty good idea of what could happen if that sniper who took out our black eyed, gray skinned friend decides to take on the mission and finish us off."

Their eyes were locked for several long moments before both of their tempers waned and Leia said in more of an exhausted than an angry voice, "You still should have consulted me first, Han."

Han walked up to her and took her hands. "You're right, Hon. But I didn't want to take the time just in case that assassin was after us or maybe those gray skinned commandos had friends. Besides, they also had to have had a ship unless they were just dropped off in which case a pick up would have been expected in the case of a successful assassination."

Han gave a small, tentative smile. "There wasn't time to discuss it in a committee."

Leia chuckled and leaned against him, whispering tenderly, "I am _not_ a committee."

Han hugged her to him and Luke smiled. One of these days, he would have to ask them about that particular joke - among others. Every now and again, he would hear one of them say 'I love you' and the other would reply with simply 'I know'.

* * *

Mara Jade-Skywalker left the council room, resisting the urge to curse again and again over the power mongering of some and the seeminly dense lack of realization of others. Was she really the only one who saw it all? If so, how did the Alliance's command survive so kriffing long? Taking several deep breaths, she filed away her frustration for later and focused on her next task - overseeing the Jedi training at Vader's Retreat. She was actually looking forward to watching the other Jedi Knights - Nisotsa, Wade Vox, Ferroda Grey, Ezra Bridger and Keyan Farlander - teach the younger students. Kyle was out in the field as he always was, keeping an eye out for signs of Darth Diabolis and his forces as well as whoever had taken control of the Imperial forces. There were five Jedi students, not counting Leia of course. There were the Dathomir Witches Demaya and Kirana Ti. There was the Hapan Kondor. There were the two force sensitive clones who had taken a mixture of names from whom they were made from and whom they were made by. One had taken the name of Xesh Dooku and the other, the name of Yirk Windu. Being a clone himself, Ferroda took direct control of their training. The two clones had a great deal of respect for him which was good. They were both very powerful. Galen and Kanan would watch over the whole proceeding. Mara would lead them all in an hour of meditation and would also give them all a lesson on honing their danger sense, one of Mara's greatest strengths.

Mara hopped into her flashy green airspeeder and took off. She was about half way to Vader's Retreat when she sensed it. Above her suddenly appeared a quartet of Phantom TIE Fighters. Mara cursed and banked to the side, avoiding a stream of laser fire. Her airspeeder was not armed. She attempted to use her comms but, just as she thought, it was being jammed. Reaching out with the force, she contacted Keyan, giving him the urgent impression that she was in trouble. Once she received an acknowledgement, Mara focused all of her skill on avoiding being blown from the sky. These pilots were far better than the average Imperial fighter pilot and, glancing over her shoulder, Mara saw that the symbol of Darth Diabolis emblazoned on them - these were formerly Zann Consortium pilots. She could still see the faded markings of Zann's ugly insignia beneath the black Star Forge symbol. _That's it - when Luke gets home, he, Wade and eye are attaching laser cannons to this baby - and maybe a seeker missile launcher as well. No bones or buts about it._

She avoided another stream of laser fire when she got a short mental communication from Keyan. _Ferroda and I on the way; keep this way._

Mara grinned. Aside from Luke and herself, Keyan and Ferroda were the best pilots they had. These TIEs were as good as dead. Within moments, she saw them - a pair of X-wing Starfighters screaming towards them. The TIE's saw them too and a pair of moved to intercept but they didn't stand a chance again two combat fighter vets and Jedi Knights to boot. The two intercepting fighters were gone and despite the fact that they had broken off, the other two didn't make it to atmosphere before they two were taken. One of them was precisely targeted, its sublight engines and hyperdrive knocked out, forcing it to remain in atmosphere. Suddenly, over her comms, Mara heard Galen Marek say, "Head to the Retreat, Mara. I'll grab the fighter and drag it along."

She watched as one of the X-wings burned out the TIE's repulsors. Instead of it plummeting to the surface, it remained motionless for just a moment before the _Rogue Shadow_ flew under and slightly behind it. As if using a tractor beam and repulsor rig, the TIE was moved to the retreat and Mara could sense the negligible strain from Jedi Master Galen Marek as he set it down. Suddenly, the TIE exploded and Mara cursed. "Damn the Empire and its self destruct systems!"

When she had landed, she was met by her fellow Jedi. Wade looked anxiously at her. "Are you and the baby okay, Mara?"

Mara nodded. The baby wasn't sending her any signals that said it was in distress of any kind. "I'm fine, Kiddo. Thanks. Did anyone get in contact with NRI, the Fleet or Starfighter command to get an answer as to how they got in."

They were all quiet and Kanan said, "They were TIE Phantoms, Mara. They could have slid past all of our sensors. You know that."

Mara sighed. He was right of course and getting angry at the New Republic military would do nothing to solve anything. After taking a few calming breaths, she clapped her hands and said, "Alright! Everyone inside; we have training to do and no random assault by advanced Imperial starfighters is going to stop us. Go on! Shift yourselves."

They all chuckled and moved inside, Mara playfully driving them before herself. Galen and Kanan were both behind her, chuckling as they went. They both looked at each other and sobered. It was clear that someone was targeting Mara and, if the very short message they had received from Solo was any indication, they were targeting the Skywalker family and the Jedi. Instead of joining the class, the two masters went to the comms room to begin making comm calls. Security needed to be tightened and investigations needed to be done or else the next attempt on the Skywalkers' lives could possibly succeed.

* * *

 **This was awhile in coming. Sorry about that. I hope you enjoyed. Please read, review and request. Love you all.**

 **12.04.2017**


	5. Chapter 5: Plans in Motion

The room was silent as Grand Admiral Thrawn studied his artwork, appearing to have not even noticed Captain Pellaeon giving him the report on his Noghri warriors' failed attempt to eliminate the Skywalkers. Darth Diabolis couldn't say much though. His pilots didn't succeed at killing Mara Jade Skywalker either. The Dark Lord absently wondered how he kept managing to underestimate them after every failed attempt on their lives. Each time he tried something different, it failed. Diabolis smiled rather ruefully to himself. No, he didn't fail. He simply learned how not to kill them rather than how too - trial and error. "All died but the coordinator then?" asked Thrawn, bringing Diabolis out of his revelry. Pellaeon nodded, "Yes, Sir. We're still not entirely sure what went wrong."

Thrawn nodded thoughtfully. "Instruct Central to give the coordinator a thorough debriefing. What report from Wayland?"

Diabolis listened with interest as the Captain reported, "The engineering and tech team has finished their analyses and report that the cloaking shield schematics seem complete but that to actually build one will take time and be expensive, especially for a ship like the _Chimaera_."

Diabolis circled around and said casually, "I am curious why this particular shield is so critical, Grand Admiral Thrawn. Many of my vessels have cloaking capabilities as do several of yours. What makes this one special?"

Thrawn replied, "Quite simple, my Lord; those other cloaking shields allow you to move, see and even use some systems but they will not allow you to fire. Somehow, the energy or projectiles caused the shield to go down. This one will completely blind a ship perhaps but it will allow it to fire without dissipating the cloaking effect. That will be critical to my plans."

The Dark Lord nodded, understanding quite well. He wasn't sure of the Grand Admiral's plan but he trusted Thrawn to keep both their interests in mind and not to use this tool against him. Turning back to Pellaeon, Thrawn said, "We will not need to start with anything so large as a Star Destroyer, Captain. Here are the specs for what we will need at Sluis Van."

Diabolis and Pellaeon looked at each other before the Captain hesitantly asked, "The ship yards, Admiral?"

"Yes. Oh, and we're going to need some advanced mining machines - mole miners, I believe they're informally called and we will need a minimum of forty."

Diabolis pursed his lips. "I have mining equipment but not those particular models. I take it you'll need mining machines that work out of atmosphere and have some power to them?"

Thrawn gave a minuscule nod, "That is correct, Darth Diabolis. I take it you don't have any to donate to the cause?"

Diabolis shook his head. "I'm afraid not, my friend. I can, however, have my intelligence network look out for corporations who do own them and where they would be."

"Unnecessary but appreciated, my Lord; I already know where a good many are. I am curious, though - were your troops and Dark Jedi successful at finding what they needed on Ziost."

Diabolis smiled and said, "They were indeed, Grand Admiral Thrawn. Six ancient but still quite functional Sith meditation spheres were acquired. I have also had my Dark Jedi who are gifted in such ways practicing synchronizing so that there should be no unexpected problems on that end during the operations."

Thrawn gave a small smile. "Excellent, my Lord."

After a suitable silence, Pellaeon said, "One more thing, Admiral - the engineers also report that nearly eighty percent of the spaarti cloning cylinders are functional or can be restored to working order with relative ease and, thanks to Darth Diabolis, another five point three percent should be able to be restored with a little more difficulty."

Thrawn's smile grew infinitesimally. "That is excellent, Captain. How are the mountain's defenses, Captain?"

"Operational for the most part, Admiral. Three of the four reactors are already on line."

Thrawn stood and walked over to Diabolis. "Again, excellent, Captain. The _Death's Head_ , its passengers and its cargo will be there in two or three days and instruct them to begin bringing as many cylinders as possible on line. At that point we will begin the operation in earnest - beginning with Sluis Van."

Pellaeon shifted uncomfortably. "Yes sir. What of the Skywalkers?"

"We shall try Team Four this time. Have them withdraw from their current assignment and stand ready for further orders."

Pellaeon was slightly shocked. "You want _me_ to transmit the orders, Sir? Not to question your orders, Admiral but in the past, you have always preferred to contact them yourself."

Thrawn's eyes narrowed and his voice became soft yet cold. "Team eight failed me. Sending the message through you will let the other know how displeased I am."

Diabolis scratched his stubbly chin. Revan's mask, he needed a shave. "I am sorry, Admiral, but I fear they will fail as well - as will any other Noghri Commando Teams you send. These are Jedi and they have Jedi around them."

Thrawn's fingers drummed on the arms of his chair. "Perhaps but I still think it worth another try so that I may continue assessing the Jedi. Do you have any thoughts, my Lord?"

Diabolis nodded. "I do - several actually but for me to put them in motion, I'll need my techs to finish a project of their own aboard my Star Dreadnaught _Iron First._ If my memory and the historical records serve me well, I have the solution to our Jedi problem - or at least a good chunk of it."

Thrawn nodded and said, "Until then, I will continue to employ the Noghri."

"Very well, Admiral;" replied Darth Diabolis. "Now I will return to my flagship until I am needed. I do believe my apprentice has been feeling neglected and I rather miss her myself. If you require any more assistance, Admiral, do not hesitate to communicate with me."

Grand Admiral Thrawn gave a low chuckle, "Hell hath no wrath, My Lord?"

Diabolis returned the chuckled. "Not even close, Grand Admiral Thrawn. Not even close."

* * *

 **Coruscant - Council chambers of the Imperial Palace**

Mara shifted to a more comfortable position - something that was growing increasingly difficult these days. In theory, these Inner Council meetings were supposed to be a quieter more casual sort of encounter than the more formal Ruling Council meetings. In reality, however, she had long ago found out, an Inner Council grilling could be just as rough as the being over the fires by the larger one. Not only that, it was Borsk Fey'lya again, raking Han over the flames with all the oily, smooth politeness that he always had. "Let me get this straight, then, Captain Solo; you, alone, and without any consultation with anyone in official authority, made the decision to cancel the Bimisaari mission."

Han rolled his eyes, earning a sharp look from his wife. "I've already said that. I've also stated my reasons for doing so."

"Which in my opinion were good and proper ones;" said Admiral Ackbar in his gravelly Mon Calamari voice, "Captain Solo's duty at that point was abundantly clear: to protect the ambassador in his charge and to return safetly to alert us."

"To alert us to what?" countered the Bothan smoothly. "Forgive me, Admiral, but I don't understand what exactly is this threat is we're supposedly facing. Whoever these gray skinned beings were, they clearly weren't considered important enough by the Old Senate to even be included in the records. I doubt that a race that insignificant is likely to be capable of mounting a major offensive against us."

Mara rolled her eyes, earning a sharp look from her sister-in-law just as Han had. "Yes, because the records have _never_ been altered to hide anything before - but, oh wait," and she leveled a glare at Fey'lya, "there was an entire war fought after several planets and species were taken out of both the Senate records and the Archives of the Old Jedi Order - or have you forgotten the Clone Wars, Councilor Fey'lya?"

Fey'lya turned his gaze on her but before he could say anything, Leia jumped in with damage control. "We don't know that either of those are the reasons they aren't in the records. It could be oversight or gap damage."

Luke lifted a black gloved hand, "Or, as Mara suggested, it was a deliberate erasure."

Fey'lya's fur rippled, indicating polite disbelief, "And why would the Senate - Republic or Imperial - want to erase the records of an entire races existance?"

Luke shrugged. "We're not saying that it was necessarily the Senate's idea. Perhaps the aliens themselves destroyed the records."

Mara nodded, her full red lips pursed. "Besides, Kamino was erased from the records for a whole decade so that a clone army could be created. Perhaps those creatures and their home was erased, by themselves or someone else, so that someone could have a private force of assassins and commandos. It wouldn't be the first time that kind of secret was kept."

"Far-fetched to say the least, Master Jedi. I don't think there are so many beings in the galaxy as secretive or caniving as your master."

"Former-master;" Mara ground out, glaring emerald green daggers at the Bothan. Fey'lya's eyes widened and his fur rippled again. "My apologies, Jedi Jade. A mere slip of the tongue;"

Mon Mothma cleared her throat and said, "Perhaps Councilor Organa Solo can answer this. You were more involved with the information side of the Imperial Senate than I was, Leia. Would such a manipulation have been possible?"

"If history is any indication, it could quite likely be possible;" said Leia. "However, I can't say for sure. I never got all that deeply into the actual mechanics of how the Senate's records were handled. Common wisdom and the knowledge we already have would suggest that it's impossible to create a security system that can't be broken by someone determined enough to do it."

"That still doesn't answer the question of why these aliens of yours would be that determined."

Mara was getting very quickly fed up with this whole discussion. She was tired, she was feeling very hot and a little nauseous. Standing, she said rather testily, "There are dozens of reasons someone would want their existence to be hidden. According to all three, they were highly skilled and well coordinated commandos armed with Imperial issued weaponry. Now during this day and age, that's no big thing since Moffs and Warlords have constantly been selling arms to the fringe but that _does_ mean that these warriors have Imperial connections at the very least. That, and their hand to hand combat skills were also very advanced. Look, Councilors, take it from a professional - if these assassins tried once and failed, they are going to try again. We have a thousand enemies who would love to see the Jedi, Luke and Leia in particular, dead and gone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make a visit to the refresher."

She bent down and kissed Luke before taking her leave. Luke watched his wife go with concern on his face. Leia quietly leaned over to Winter and murmured something and the tall, white haired woman glided out after Mara. Luke sent her a thanks through the force and they both focused back on the meeting. Fey'lya was saying, "Regardless of the reason, I see no reason to make a full-fledged military operation out of this. To reduce our glorious forces to the level of a mere diplomatic entourage is an insult to their courage and their fighting spirit."

Luke had to fight to not roll his eyes as he shared a glance with Han. It was a good thing Mara had slipped out or she would have had some interesting words for the Bothan. As it was, Ackbar seemed to have plenty to say himself. "You can dispense with the speeches, Councilor. None of our glorious forces are here to be impressed by them."

"I say only what I feel, Admiral;" replied Fey'lya with an air of wounded pride he was famous for. Leia cleared her throat and said, "I wonder if we can get back to the original subject here. I presume it hasn't escaped anyone's notice that, whatever their motivation, the aliens were ready and waiting for us on Bimmisari."

Ackbar nodded. "We're going to need tighter security for these missions, obviously. On both ends; your attackers did suborn a local Bimm politician, after all."

"All of which will cost that much more time and effort," murmured Fey'lya. Mon Mothma nodded. "It can't be helped. If we don't protect our negotiators, the New Republic will stagnate and wither. Accordingly you will detail a force to accompany Counciler Organa Solo on her trip to Bimmisaari tomorrow. Also, Jedi Skywalker, please relay a request to Master Jarus and General Marek for a Jedi escort - anyone he deems fit for the task."

Luke noted the request on his datapad and nodded to her. Han was frowning. "Ahem - excuse, Madam President - tomorrow?"

Mon Mothma returned his look of mild surprise, "Yes, tomorrow. The Bimms are still waiting, Captain Solo."

"I know, but -"

"What Han is trying to say," Leia jumped in, "is that I had intended at this meeting to ask for a brief leave of absence from my diplomatic duties."

Mon Mothma shook her head. "I'm afraid that's impossible. There is far too much work to be done."

Han was doing everything to maintain his patience. "We're not talking about a vacation. Leia needs time to complete her Jedi training."

Mon Mothma pursed her lips and glanced over at Ackbar and Fey'lya before slowly shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I of all people understand the need for Leia to finish her training as a Jedi and add more Jedi to the ranks. But for now there are simply too many urgent demands on our time. Besides, the ranks of the Jedi _are_ growing. How many Jedi Knights does the Order have now, Jedi Skywalker."

Luke restrained a grimace and threw Han and Leia a apologetic look. "We have seven fully trained Jedi Knights and five Jedi students. An additional four will be arriving shortly as well. We found them thanks to the holocron found on Vjun during X1's Clone War."

Mon Mothma gave a small smile. "See? I know you wish to finish your training, Leia but, for the time being, it simply cannot be done."

She looked over at Fey'lya again - almost, Han thought sourly, as if seeking the Bothan's permission. "In another year - quite possibly sooner, we'll have enough experience diplomats for you to devote the bulk of your time to your studies. But right now, I'm afraid I need you here."

An uncomfortable silence followed before Ackbar and Luke both stood. "If you'll excuse me," said the Admiral, "I'll go and have that escort force prepared."

Luke said, "And I'll put your request in to the Masters. I also need to check on Mara."

Mon Mothma gave a small smile. "Are those bouts of morning sickness getting any better yet, Jedi Skywalker?"

Luke smiled ruefully and replied, "Nope;" before walking out the door. Slowly, everyone stood and began gathering their things. Han's jaw was clenched tight. Leia put a hand on his forearm. "Are you alright?"

Han growled out, "You know, it was a lot easier back when we were just taking on the Empire. At least _then_ we knew who our enemies were."

He shot a nasty glance toward Fey'lya. Leia squeezed him arm and said, "Come on. Let's go home and get ready for tomorrow."

* * *

Mara felt a little better as she sipped the tea that Winter had made for her. At first, she had tried to stubbornly say that she didn't need Winter's assistance but, after interrupting herself and hurrying to the refresher, again, she decided that a little help would be nice. The tea was soothing to the stomach and filled with antioxidants and nutrients that were gentle on both her body and the baby's. She smiled at Winter and said, "Thank you for the help, Winter."

"Of course, Jedi Jade Skywalker;" she replied smoothly. Mara pulled a face and said, "Winter, I insist that you call me Mara. I hate these titles in unofficial settings and it's a lot less of a mouthful than Jedi Jade Skywalker."

Winter smiled and said, "Of course, Mara. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Mara blinked and was silent for a moment before smiling and saying, "No. Luke is almost here and force knows he loves to pamper me. Thanks again."

Winter nodded and took her leave. Mara took her mug of tea and headed over to the couch, getting comfortable. Minutes later, Luke stepped into the penthouse. Mara smiled and said, "Where have you been all my life, Good-Looking?"

Luke chuckled and hung his black cloak on the hanger before heading over to sit next to his wife. "I know that you really dislike Fey'lya and I do too but maybe you should dial down the hostility a little?"

Mara feigned ignorance. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Skywalker. I'm a pregnant woman and, therefor, can be a little moody."

Luke laughed and said, "Very true and you know I will do whatever I can to make things as painless as possible but in all seriousness, that reason will only get you so far when it comes to politics. I'm sure you could tell but Leia was less than appreciative of your remarks."

Mara nodded with a sigh, "Yeah, I know. It's just that THAT _BOTHAN_ cares more about looking good and snatching power than he does the greater good. I wish he would just screw up big enough to be kicked off the council already before he royally endangers or screws something up."

Luke nodded and they fell silent. Mara stretched out over the couch and laid her head back, exhausted from the day and her pregnancy. She propped her feet on Luke's lap and he began rubbing them for her. "Mmmm," she moaned, "that feels really nice."

Luke smiled at her as she drifted off to sleep, overwhelmed with love and affection for his wife. Even though they were at war and even though it would seem that it was only going to get worse once again, they were together and so many times in the past, it had seemed like that would be impossible. Finally, Luke knew, and was sure that Mara knew, that come fire and storm, they would face it side by side for the rest of their days.

* * *

 **Space - the _Chimaera_**

The tactical officer stepped up to the _Chimaera_ 's bridge station, bringing his heels together smartly. "All units report ready, Admiral;" he reported with gusto. Grand Admiral Thrawn nodded, his voice glacially calm. "Excellent. Prepare for lightspeed."

Pellaeon threw a glance at Thrawn but then returned his attention to the bank of tactical and status readouts facing him. Only three thousandths of a lightyear away, the Bpfassh System's sun was a mere pinprick of light, indistinguishable from the other stars blazing all around them. Pellaeon and Thrawn had had many debates about such short hyperspace jumps. They were horribly hard to make accurately. Now, however, the task force attached to the _Chimaera_ had it down to a routine. Thrawn's carefully modulated voice came from behind Pellaeon, "Captain, is my flagship ready?"

Pellaeon gave the ghost of a smile and replied, "The _Chimaera_ is fully at you command, Admiral."

"Excellent," said Thrawn before swiveling back to Diabolis and a young woman who sat on a thick mat. "Are your Acolytes ready, my Lord?"

Diabolis gave the young woman a nod and she closed her eyes. "They are ready, Admiral - they simply await command."

"Then do so, my Lord. Captain, begin the countdown."

When the timer hit zero, the stars turned to lines and then to the blue tunnel of hyperspace. "Speed at point three, Admiral;" reported the helmsman as he checked his chrono. A timer counted to seventy-six seconds and then they were in real space again. Immediately, Pellaeon commanded, "All fighters: launch."

They had come out right on top of the double planet of Bpfassh and its moons, within easy attack distance. "Any response?" inquired the Captain. The tactical officer was intently focused on his instruments. "Defending fighters launching from the third me, Captain. Nothing larger visible yet."

Thrawn commanded, "Get a location on that base and detail the _Inexorable_ to destroy it."

"Yes, Sir."

The _Inexorable_ changed course and its TIEs engaged the defending fighters. "Change course to the further of the twin planets and set TIE fighters to set up an advance screen. The _Judicator_ will take the other planet;" commanded Pellaeon before turning back towards Thrawn. "Any special orders, Admiral?"

The Admiral replied, "Stay with the program for now, Captain. Our preliminary data appears to have been adequate; you may choose targets at will but remind the gunners once again that the plan is to hurt and frighten, not obliterate."

Pellaeon turned to the comms officer. "Relay that and have the TIE's reminded as well."

Out of the corner of his eye, Pellaeon saw Thrawn turn to Diabolis. "What is the status of our other attacks, my Lord?"

The young woman spoke with a strained voice. "They proceed, Grand Admiral Thrawn."

The Grand Admiral nodded and asked, "Do you have any idea what kind of resistance they are meeting?"

She furrowed her brow and said, "Not precisely but neither are in grave danger - that much I can say for certain."

"Good."

The tactical holo began displaying sparks as the targets began to go up in flames or be vaporized. An uneasy feeling began to settle in the pit of Pellaeon's stomach. He quickly called up the analyses of the _Chimaera_ 's readiness and there was no mistaking what he found. In every performance category, the crew was out doing itself by high margins - no less than a forty percent increase in effectiveness. He turned to look at the Dark Lord and his young Dark Jedi with new awe and respect. Pellaeon had not wanted to believe what Thrawn had stated about the Battle of Endor and the Emperor's involvement but now, now he felt his doubt slip away and replaced with unease. These powerful beings could shred the Imperial fleet if they wished. The low, modulated voice of Thrawn broke into his pondering. "I take it you understand now, Captain."

Pellaeon nodded. He understood just fine. "Good," said Thrawn. Pellaeon looked backed to his instruments just as the comms officer called out, "Getting another transmission, there is a new group of mid-range cruisers launching!"

"The _Stormhawk_ move to intercept;" ordered Thrawn smoothly. "Understood, Sir. We've also pinpointed where the distress signal is originating from, Admiral."

Pellaeon called out, "Have Squadron Four destroy it."

"Belay that order," called Thrawn. "We'll be long gone by the time reinforcements arrive."

Pellaeon winced again. Much like making a very short hyperspace jump, using Imperial-Class Star Destroyers as hit and fade warships was against what the Imperial Navy would consider "conventional wisdom". But then proponents of such theories had obviously never watched or served with Grand Admiral Thrawn in command. The Grand Admiral spoke again, "Order the other two attack groups to break off their attacks as well and call them back to the rendezvous point."

"Yes, Grand Admiral;" said the young woman on the cushion. Diabolis placed a hand on her shoulder and she straightened from the slouch she had sank to, her face less haggard and her forehead less tense. The Dark Lord was obviously lending his own strength to that of his acolyte. "This is an entirely different Sith Lord than Darth Vader was, wouldn't you say, Captain? Why, I would go so far as to say he cares about those under his command - that Darth Diabolis is a true charismatic. What do you think, Captain?"

Pellaeon could not deny what he saw. "I think that perhaps you are right, Admiral."

Thrawn gave a small smile before changing the subject. "How goes the analyses of the Athega system?"

"Very well, sir but the obvious problem is the sun there. It's close and hot enough to cause a serious complication."

Thrawn waved away the issue and said, "With an accurate enough jump, we will be in and out of the system and the _Judicator_ should only be in the sunlight for a few minutes each way. It can certainly handle that, providing that we shield its viewports and remove exterior equipment."

Pellaeon nodded. "Grand Admiral Thrawn;" came Diabolis's melodious voice. The Grand Admiral answered, "Yes, my Lord?"

"Has there been any report on the success of your Noghri team four yet?"

Thrawn shook his head, "Unfortunately not yet, my Lord. I will update you the moment after I myself am updated."

"That would be appreciated, Grand Admiral Thrawn;" said the Dark Lord with a polite and pleasant smile. To his own surprise, Pellaeon found that he was beginning to respect and perhaps even like the Sith Lord.

* * *

 **Coruscant - the Training Facility of Darth Vader's Retreat**

The remotes zipped around, the soft hissing of their repulsers filling the other-wise silent room. In quick succession, all three fired. Leia was able to block the majority of the bolts but one slipped through and stung her side and another, her forearm. Luke nodded with approval but inside, he winced. Leia was very out of practice with her weapon and it showed. The last time, she had easily deflected all the bolts. Mara put the remotes on stand by and said, "You're distracted. Is something wrong, Leia?"

Leia sighed and rubbed her hip where she had been stung. "There's something coming. I can sense it but I just can't put my finger on it and it's been bothering me for awhile now."

Luke and Mara looked at each other. They could sense a disturbance in the force but they had ever since Diabolis had surfaced years ago. It had never gone away. "Why didn't you mention it before?" asked Luke gently. Leia sighed and smiled a little ruefully. "In truth, I just assumed you sensed it too."

Han came in at that moment, a trouble look on his face. "How's it going?" he called with an attempt at cheerfulness. Leia pulled a face and said, "It could always be worse. What's wrong? You look perturbed."

Han sighed and said, "The Empire just launched a three pronged attack on New Republic worlds in the Sluis Sector - some place called Bpfassh and two unpronounceable ones."

Luke uttered a low whistle and Mara said, "Stang. They're getting bold now, aren't they?"

Luke chuckled and said, "Well that's about par for them these days."

Leia rubbed her temples and said, "They're up to something. Whatever it is, they're up to something and I know my bad feeling has something to do with it."

Luke, Mara and Han a looked at each other. Han sighed and said, "Ackbar's been saying the same thing. Problem is he has nothing to back it up. With the exception of using Star Destroyers for a hit and fade attack, this is pretty much the same rear guard harassment the Empire has been up to since Ferroda put X1 down."

"Han!" said Leia, looking around to make sure that the clone Jedi Knight was around with his two students. Han winced and said, "Sorry, sweetheart - it was a slip of the tongue."

Leia nodded and sighed, "You're right of course. Don't sell Ackbar short though. He's got a keen tactical mind and solid instincts no matter what certain other parties might say."

Mara gave a scowl and opened her mouth to speak 'til Luke cleared his throat and said, "How bad was the damage out there?"

Mara shot him a glare but then chuckled a little. Han grinned at the two of them but then sobered and said, "Not nearly as bad as it could have been, especially considering the Star Destroyers. All three systems are pretty shook up though."

Leia nodded. "I can imagine. Let me guess: Mon Mothma wants me to go out there and assure them that the New Republic really is able and willing to protect them?"

Han chuckled mirthlessly. "How'd you guess? Chewie's getting the _Falcon_ ready as we speak."

Both Mara and Luke looked sharply at them. "You're not going alone, are you?" he asked. "After Bpfassh..."

"Don't worry, Kid. We're not going to be sitting ducks this time. There's a twenty ship convoy going out to assess the damage, plus Wedge and Rogue Squadron and Ace Azzemeen and Blue Squadron. We'll be safe enough."

"That's what we said about Bimmisaari. I'd better come along too;" Mara just looked at him and Luke realized that he had just volunteered without even thinking about it or discussing it with his wife. "That is to say - if there are no pressing matters that need my attention, I think I should go. If not, I'm sure I can send Wade or Nisotsa or any of our other fine Jedi Knights who aren't currently on assignment;" he said after slapping his forehead with the palm of his hand. Mara stifled a chuckle. Leia and Han looked at each other and said, "Actually, you can't and neither can any of them."

Mara and Luke looked at him and both asked, "Why?"

Leia answered in a quiet voice, "The Bpfasshi don't like Jedi."

Mara frowned. "But Ferroda saved them at the beginning of X1's Clone Conflict and they joined the New Republic. He's a Jedi."

"Yes but they didn't know that he was a Jedi - just that he was 'General Grey' of the New Republic. If they had, I think they would have been less welcoming and definitely would not have joined the New Republic."

Luke scratched his chin. "Why don't the Bpfasshi like Jedi?"

Han sighed and said, "Apparently a group of Jedi on Bpfassh went bad and mangled the whole system during the Clone Wars and a large group of light side Jedi had to go and take them out. It wasn't just those worlds either - some of the Dark Jedi escaped, one making it even as far a Dagobah."

Luke and Mara looked at each other. "When was that?"

Leia frowned and said, "About twenty to twenty-five years ago - why?"

The two Skywalkers looked at each other before Luke murmured, "No reason."

Before Leia could try and get the information out of him, Han put a hand on the small of her back. "Come on. We can discuss history later. The sooner we get going, the sooner we can get this over with."

"Right;" Leia agreed, giving Luke a look that said very clearly that they would be discussing this at a later date. "I'll grab my travel bag and give Winter one or two instructions. See you at the ship."

Luke and Mara watched her go and Luke sighed, "I don't like this."

Han said, "She'll be safe. Look, buddy, I know how protective you're feeling towards her these days but she can't always have her big brother;" and he shot a smirk at Mara, "or little sister standing over her."

Mara was about to say something but then realized that, being at least two years younger than Luke and Leia, she really couldn't argue the point. Luke chuckled and said, "Actually, we never were able to determine which of us was actually born first."

"Semantics;" said Han, waving his hand dismissively. "My point in that the best thing you two can do is what you are doing - taking whatever time allowed to train her to be a Jedi. Then she'll be able to handle anything the Empire throws at her."

Luke sighed. "I suppose so."

Han slapped his back and squeezed Mara's shoulder gently but affectionately. "As long as Chewie and I are with her, she already pretty much can. We'll see the two of you when we get back."

"Be careful;" they both called at once, causing Han to laugh and reply with, "Hey, it's me."

Luke and Mara looked at each other and both said together, "And that's what we're worried about."

For a few moments, they stood silently, their minds perfectly melded together as they spoke and thought together through their force bond. In the end, they both came to the same conclusion - Dagobah. Pulling back slightly from their bond so that they could well distinguish themselves from the other, they both nodded. "I'll go up and pack;" murmured Mara before kissing him. Luke nodded and went over to the room's comms unit. When he got an acknowledgement, he said, " This is Luke Skywalker. Have the..."

 _We're taking my ship this time, Farmboy._ Came Mara's voice through their bond and Luke chuckled. "Have the _Jade's Star_ prepped for departure in one hour."

"Yes, Sir;" came the deck officer's reply. "Thank you. Skywalker out."

"Actually, Sir, if you could send your astromech droid, that would be quite helpful. It would seem that he's become the ship's computer's counterpart. You really should wipe his mind every now and again."

Luke chuckled and said, "I'll make sure I send him."

He did just that before he turned to help his wife only to see her hauling two duffel bags towards him. She had changed from her regular tunic into a set of red and black Jedi robes. "That was quick;" he observed with a smile. Mara smiled back and said, "I always have bags ready to go. Didn't you know that?"

Luke laughed and said, "They're having the _Star_ prepped now but I still think that the _Knight_ would be just as good - if not better. What if we get into trouble?"

Mara chuckled and said, "Then we'll zip out of there instead of staying and fighting. If what Wade says is true, he's got the _Jade's Star_ as fast as even the _Falcon_ at lightspeed."

Luke's blue eyes widened. "That is impressive. Well anyway, it's being prepped as we speak and Artoo will be waiting for us."

Mara laced her arm through Luke's and they headed towards the speeder platform. Quietly, Mara asked Luke, "What exactly are we hoping to find there?"

"Maybe nothing;" he admitted, "Or maybe we'll find something that Yoda left for us like Obi-wan did."

"Wouldn't he tell us about it though?" asked Mara and look sighed. "Probably. I really don't know Mara but somehow-"

"It feels right;" she murmured, finishing his sentence. "Exactly;" he replied, kissing her brow.

 **Updated 12.05.2017**


	6. Chapter 6: Friends - both Dead and New

"As you can see, the place is something of a mess;" said Wedge Antilles as he, Leia and Han crunched through the damage of one of Bpfassh's major power plants. Han nodded. "How many people were killed?"

"In this system, a few hundred - not near as bad as it could have been."

Leia nodded and said, "No, not at all. There is a lot of damage though."

She looked up at the green-blue sky. Wedge lifted a hand and said, "Yes but not near as much as there could have been considering that there were four Star Destroyers raining fire down on them. People are wondering why there was so little damage. In fact, it's the second most popular question."

Leia looked at him. "What's the first most popular question?"

"Why did the Imperials attack Bpfassh at all?" answered Han. Wedge nodded, "That's right. It's not like they didn't have better targets to choose from. You have the Sluis Van shipyards just thirty light years away with over a hundred ships there at any given time, not to mention the docks and facilities themselves. Then there's the Praesitlyn Communications post at just under sixty and four or five major shipping centers just under a hundred. A full days travel in any given directions at Star Destroyer cruising speed. So, why Bpfassh, then?"

Leia looked over all the carnage again and murmured, "Sluis Van is pretty well defended. Between our Star Cruisers and the Sluissi's own permanent battle stations, any Imperial leader with a gram of sense would think twice before tackling it and those other systems are a whole lot deeper into New Republic space than Bpfassh. Maybe they didn't want to push their luck that far."

Han glowered darkly at several chunks of durasteel as he muttered, "Yeah, while they test out their new transmission system under combat conditions."

Wedge lifted a finger. "We still don't _know_ that they have a new transmission system. Coordinated simultaneous attacks have been done before."

Han was quiet for a second before saying, "No. No, they have something new - a booster something that can punch through hyperspace, battle debris and various shields."

"I don't think it's a booster;" said Leia with a shiver. There was something started to tingle at the back of her mind. "No one in any of the three systems picked up any transmissions."

Han moved up to her and asked, "Hey. You okay?"

"Yes. I was just remembering that when Darth Vader was torturing us on Bespin, Luke could sense in all the way across the galaxy. There were rumors that the Emperor and Vader could do that too."

"Yes," replied Han, "but they're both dead. Luke said so."

Leia sighed and said, "I know. But what if the Empire found more of Palpatine's Dark Jedi? Or worse," and her voice became quiet with worry, "what if this new Imperial leader is allied with the Sith?"

An uncomfortable silence followed that theory. Suddenly, Leia felt a rush of sensation from her danger sense and her lightsaber leaped into her hand as she called, "Han, Wedge - get down!"

The magenta blade leaped to life and intercepted a half a dozen blaster bolts as Han and Wedge knelt behind her and returned fire. The other New Republic representatives took cover as the Grey Squadron commandos ran up. It was the gray skinned aliens again and they were shooting to kill. It was quickly very clear that Leia was the target of the alien attack. "Leia, get behind cover, Wedge and I got you covered."

Leia complied with a burst of force enhanced speed. Moments later, they were pinned and Han and Wedge peaked around to see that the aliens were circling them now. "Any bright Jedi tricks, Sweetheart?"

Leia sat down and began to meditate. "Get ready to fight;" she said calmly and Han smirked. "Hey Wedge, get those commandos ready to break cover."

Wedge had experienced fighting with a Jedi's battle meditation before - had seen battles turned around against ridiculous odds. Suddenly Han felt his mind clear, his nerves calm and his fear completely dissipate. Smiling, he and Wedged shared a quick glance and broke cover. The gray aliens had all broken cover and moved in to engage. Four were dead before they could take cover again. With more efficiency than they could have had even in a simulated drill, the commandos engaged. The aliens, who had before been so precise, so skilled - the perfect killing machines, moved like moisture farm militiamen. It was minutes before they we're eliminated.

* * *

"I can assure you, Captain Solo, that we are doing everything in our power to find out how this happened;" said the gravely voice of Admiral Ackbar over the comms unit of the _Falcon._ Han tried to remember his political baring as he replied, "That's what you said four days ago, Admiral."

Leia chuckled and left the cockpit, knowing that the argument would either turn into an argument or end abruptly. She sighed and sat down on a couch, her legs crossed and her hands on her swollen abdomen. Carefully, she reached out to the two tiny consciousnesses within and was relieved that they were perfectly calm and content, surprising considering her own increased anxiety. Taking a deep breath, Leia closed her eyes and reached out with the force in meditation, sensing the life around her, the power of the ship and, when she stretched out even further, the rest of the task force that was sent to Bpfassh which was idling just out of orbit. It wasn't a clear, detailed sense, which she was certain her brother, sister-in-law, Kyle Katarn or any of the Jedi Knights would achieve but it was enough to sense waves of frustration, anxiety, boredom and a small amount of relief as well. Focusing inward, she focused on her own doubts and fears. Either the Empire had an amazing new transmitter that could punch through battle field debris and all forms of shielding, unlikely considering the New Republic had been trying to build something like that for years, or they had found one very powerful Dark Jedi. Perhaps they had found quite a few Dark Jedi. That would make more sense but was even more unsettling. In a review of the events of the past, Leia listed off the Dark Jedi that had been defeated - at least those in the Empire. Jerec and his acolytes were killed by Kyle Katarn. The Grand Inquisitor Ja'ce Yiaso and one of the Emperor's personal Dark Jedi Guardians had been killed on Coruscant in the ruins of the Jedi Temple. X1 and his large cadre of Dark Side clones had either been killed or redeemed in an effort led primarily by Ferroda Grey.

Chewie gave a low growl which Leia tentatively identified as a query on her well-being. "I'm okay, Chewie. Thank you."

The Wookiee studied her before going about his odd bits of maintenance on the aging freighter they were on. Leia went back to her list. From what she understood, another Dark Jedi named Cronal, alias Shadowspawn, alias Black Hole and so on, had been killed by Zann Consortium forces over Dathomir. Other than that, there were just odd acolytes, adepts, and Imperial Dark Jedi who had been hunted and either captured or killed. Those that were captured were shuttled to a new prison facility on Chandrilla, one that used highly trained volunteers and a series of specially created cages and, of course, the yslamari to keep the Dark Jedi subdued while they awaited trial. Other than that, they had faced Nightsister Sith Witches of Dathomir, Darth Diabolis's Dark Jedi and random other Dark Side users like those found on the Imperial Bio-research station where Wade Vox, Keyan Farlander and Nisotsa were sent with a special Intelligence Commando team and a pair of civilians. The reports off that station were terrible - reports of walking, hungry corpses that screamed and slathered and of two powerful Dark Side masters who controlled them, made her shiver.

The truth was, Leia believed that the most likely truth is that this new Imperial leader was either allied with or controlled by Darth Diabolis and that the Dark Lord was using his acolytes to communicate and coordinate the attacks - a sort of long range, multi-use battle meditation that was somehow transmitted and sensed through hyperspace. Sighing, Leia stood and headed back into the cockpit. Han had whipped around, his hand on his trusty blaster. "It's just me."

Han relaxed and she flopped into the copilot's seat. "You finished talking with Ackbar already?"

Her husband grimaced and said, "It wasn't much of a conversation. I asked what they were dong to find how our pals with the blaster knew we were coming here, he assured me they were doing everything possible to find out. I managed to step on his toes and he signed off in a huff - which is pretty much the usual for Ackbar these days."

Leia chuckled with fondness and brushed his hand with hers. "You do have a way with people."

Han rolled his eyes. "This one's not my fault. All I suggested was that his security people might not be up to keeping these guys out of the Imperial Palace. He's the one who overreacted."

Leia nodded and patted him placating on the shoulder. "I know. For all his military genius, Admiral Ackbar just doesn't have the polish to be a good politician. And with Fey'lya nipping at his heels, he just gets more and more overprotective of his territory."

Han snorted and they fell silent. After a few minutes, Han asked, "Are you done here?"

Leia sighed and said, "As done as I can be. The rebuilding's going to take some time, but the organization for that will have to be handled from Coruscant."

She began to sound tired. "Convoys of replacement equipment, consultants and maybe extra workers - you know, that sort of thing."

Han suddenly became thoughtful. "And I take it that you want to get the ball rolling."

Leia glanced at him and said almost suspiciously, "You sound like you don't."

Han shrugged and said, "Well it's what everyone is going to expect you to do so..." and his eyes twinkled and Leia finished his thought. "So maybe we should do something else."

Han winked and shot her a trademark smirk. "Yes. Maybe go somewhere no one would think to look for you and hole up there for a while."

Leia sighed and said, "I can't do that. I have commitments on Coruscants."

Han was ready for this argument. "You have commitments to yourself, too - not to mention the twins."

Leia felt guilt lance through to the core of her very soul. In a weak defense she murmured, "That's not fair, Han."

Han cocked his eyebrow. "Isn't it?"

After a moment of silence, Leia said, barely above a whisper, "I can't be out of touch, Han. I just can't. There's just too much happening back there for me to bury myself away."

Han nodded thoughtfully. "Well, if all you need right now is to keep in touch, how about if we go some place that has a diplomatic station? You'd at least be able to get official Coruscant news there."

Leia cocked a brow, ever so slightly intrigued, "And how do we make sure the local ambassador doesn't give us away?" and she shook her head, saying in a low voice, "I can't believe I'm talking like this. It's like we're back being the Rebellion again, not the legitimate government."

Han just shrugged, that all-too innocent look on his face that automatically mis-gave Leia. "Who says the ambassador has to know? We've got a diplomatic receiver on the _Falcon_ \- we can tap into the transmission on our own."

"Only if we can get hold of the station's encrypt scheme;" Leia said. "And then plug into it into our receiver. That may not be possible."

Han just shrugged. "We can find a way. At least it would buy Ackbar some time to track down the leak."

"True. Any ideas?"

Han smirked. "One or two."

Leia sighed in resignation. "Lando?"

"Maybe; let me send the rest back to Coruscant."

* * *

Mara carefully angled the _Jade's Star_ down towards the muggy, murky, gross surface of the swamp planet of Dagobah. Somehow, it was a great deal easier than her first attempt in the years back. The sense of utmost ease and confidence in her piloting that emanated from her husband made Mara smile as she gently set the ship down with little more than a bump. She smirked at Luke who chuckled and said, "Beautifully done as always, my love."

She chuckled and said, "You're sweet. Come on, let's go."

They headed down the ramp and froze, finding themselves less than fifty meters away from the dark side cave. Luke and Mara looked at one another. "Artoo, stay aboard the ship. We'll be back;" called Luke over his shoulder. They headed towards the cave and stopped just four meters from the entrance. Mara asked in a hushed tone, "Are we going in?"

Luke shook his head. "No. I feel no special call from it. Let's go see what's left of Yoda's hut. Other than that, I'm honestly not even sure why we came."

Mara chuckled dryly and said, "Oh yes you are; it's because of the force. It directed us here. Come on, Beloved. Let's look around and see what can be seen. Hey up there, Whistles;" she called impishly to Artoo. Originally the droid had seemed to hate the nickname but it seemed grow on him. "Scan around and see if there are any electronics in the area."

The droid whistled an affirmative and Mara laced her arm through her husbands and said, "Come along. This nexus can not be good for the little one."

Luke tensed. He hadn't even thought of that and immediately felt guilty. "Oh come on, Luke;" she chided gently, "I'm sure it's not going to have any ill effect. We were pretty far away. Come on, cheer up and lets get this over with."

Luke tried to maintain a frown but it was weak. Mara leaned up and said, "I guess I'm going to have to cheer you up when were done. Come on, Baby. Let's go."

Luke couldn't help but grin as they headed to the old hut - or at least, what was left of it. The swamp had taken over the structure, the only things remaining was the outline of the fireplace and some rusty metal pots. It was a little emotionally hard for them, lumps forming in their throats. "Do you remember, Luke?" murmured Mara as a tear rolled down her cream colored cheek. Luke knew exactly what she meant. They had met each other and their friendship had begun in that hut very shortly after Yoda's death. It's there that Mara had convinced him, with admitted ease, that she wanted to defect and where he had promised to help her. There lives together had truly begun there. "I remember perfectly, my love. I remember everything. You know, three things went through my mind when you came out of the bog."

Mara chuckled and wiped her eyes. "Yes. First was 'force protect me from this terrifying woman'. Second was 'oh my stars, she's so kriffing sexy'. Third and finally was 'I'm sure that I can trust her, or at least hope I can so I can one day marry her and knock her up.'"

Luke burst into laughter. "Not the words I would use but generically, yes that sums it up."

Suddenly, Luke's comlink chimed as they wrapped each other in their arms and kissed. After letting it ring for a few moments, Luke picked it up and said, "What is it, Artoo?"

The beeps and whistles were hard to translate but they both got the gist. "There is a metal object about eighty meters that way. Strange, I never noticed it on either of my previous visits."

Mara eagerly tugged his arm in the given direction. "Let's go. I'm getting hungry."

Luke chuckled and said, "Oh yeah? What for?"

Mara's eyes went a little dreamy and said, "Hmmm... scrambled eggs with Sullustan sauce and juma fruit preserve."

Luke nodded, maintaining a straight face and replying, "Ah, of course. What else?"

He couldn't hold it in and doubled over laughing. Mara gave him a quick, though light, kick in the rear, a mock-scowl on her face. "I've told you before that laughing at pregnant women going through cravings wasn't smart. Get moving. I don't want to stay in this mud hole all day."

Luke kept laughing as they continued on. It didn't take them long to find a small object, just a cylindrical object with five triangular buttons that were covered in rust. "What do we have here?" asked Luke thoughtfully. Mara took it and examined it with great interest. "It's a beck-and-call - Clone War's era if I'm not mistaken. I have one for the _Star_."

Luke chuckled, "Really? How does it work?"

Mara shrugged, "Hit a control and it comes to your location. It avoids obstacles and even fires back, though not creatively or effectively but even so, it works. There is someone we know who is a lot more acquainted with such tech. Come on, Beloved. Back to the ship. Take her to hyperspace. I need a snack."

Luke nodded. "Okay. Where are we headed?"

"Nkllon;" said Mara cheerfully and Luke groaned. "We're going to see Lando?"

Mara nodded. "Yes we are. He uses these things all the time - has his entire mole miner force wired with them. He knows way more about his than I do, having studied on different models for his vehicles and equipment. Move it along, Skywalker. We have work to do."

Mara hurried with surprising speed for a pregnant woman and they were up the ramp quickly. Mara headed to the galley and Luke, straight to the cockpit. Luke chuckled as he caught flashes from Mara's mind. She was humming a song that she had learned that Luke's aunt had sung to him through their link while she munched the oddest combination of foods while her eggs cooked. Over their force bond, Mara sent to him, _keep that up, Skywalker and I'll recant my promise to cheer you up from earlier._

Luke laughed and sent an apologetic thought to her.

 **Updated 12.05.2017**


	7. Chapter 7: Nkllon

**Nkllon Approach -** ** _The Millennium Falcon_**

"No, I don't have a transit permit for Nkllon. I also don't have any accounts here. I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian;" growled Han into the _Falcon's_ transmitter with as much patience as he could muster. Leia stifled a chuckle and a wave of nostalgia flowed over her as she remembered years back when they had gone to visit Lando on Bespin just before Han's capture and encasement in carbonite. Han looked behind her with a cocked brow. "You say something?"

Leia chuckled. "No, just remembering the past."

"Right;" grunted Han. He remembered it with even less favor than Leia did. He turned back to the comms and said, "Look, just give Lando a call, will you please. Tell him that an old friend is here, and thought we might play a hand of sabacc for my choice of his stock. Lando will understand."

Leia's eyes shot wide. "We want what?" she said as she leaned forward. Han muted the intercom with a wry grin. "The Empire might have spies here too and if they do, announcing our name to the whole Athega system wouldn't be very smart."

Leia nodded slowly. "Point taken but that is a pretty strange message."

"Not to Lando. He'll know it's me - provided this low level button pusher out there loosens up and sends it in;" said Han, ending in a growl. Oft the aft side, they noticed a huge ship approaching. It was shaped like, of all things, a giant umbrella. Han looked at Chewie and asked, "You got a make on that ship, Buddy?"

Before the Wookiee could growl a reply, the comms transmitter crackled. "Unidentified ship, you have been granted a special waiver and your escort is moving to intercept. Hold your current position until it arrives."

"Acknowledged;" said Han and Leia frowned. "Escort? Escort for what?"

"Nkllon is a superhot planet and way too close to its sun for any normal ship to get to without getting part of its hull pealed off. That ship there - the giant umbrella looking thing - is a shield ship of some kind and probably our escort. It has all kinds of stuff on it to help keep it running. Hell of a ship to fly though. Lando said he had all kinds of trouble designing it and then more teaching pilots to fly it." Han said. He was suddenly interrupted by the transmitter. "Unidentified ship, this is Shield Ship 9 ready to lock; please transmit your slave circuit code."

Han chuckled dryly before answering. "Shield Ship 9, we don't have a slave circuit code. Just go ahead and give me the course and we'll stay with you."

There was a bit of a pause before the reply came. "Very well, Unidentified ship. Set course to two-eight-four and speed to point six sublight. Our ETA will be in ten hours."

Han groaned and said, "Alright. Might as well get comfortable."

Leia cocked an eye. "Well why don't we set up a temporary slave circuit."

Both Han and Chewie gave her a hard look and Han said, "We don't slave this ship to anything."

They waited for what seemed like and inordinate amount of time before Han frowned and said, "Hey Chewie, has he got his engines off standby yet?"

The Wookiee growled a negative and Han tried not to snap when he asked, "What's the hold up, Shield Ship 9?"

"Not to worry, Unidentified Ship. We have another craft without a slave circuit aboard so we're taking you both in together. No sense in tying up two of us;" came the reply. Han and Leia both stiffened and looked at each other before Han licked his lips, cleared his throat and asked as casually as possible. "I don't suppose you have and ID on that other ship, do you Shield Ship 9?"

"Hey, news flash, Pal, we don't even have an ID on you?" the pilot came back rather testily. Han growled, "Oh you're a big help. Chewie, do you got anything on this guy yet?"

The Wookiee growled a negative and Han chuckled mirthlessly. "Cute; really cute; the guy's coming around the far edge of that shield ship's central pylon, keeping it between the two of us where we can't see him."

Leia chewed her lip and asked, "Is he doing it on purpose?"

"Probably. Chewie, take over and I'm going to power up the dorsal quads."

From behind them in the main area came a nervous wale. "Captain Solo, is something wrong?"

"Probably. You'd better strap in, 3PO;" growled Han as he leaped up the ladder to the gun and dropped into the seat, hardly noticing the shift in the gravitational pull in the gun well. As he powered up the weapon and ran it through a check, Han said through his headset, "Anything yet, Chewie?"

The Wookiee replied that he didn't yet but that the sensors were able to determine the general size of the ship and that it wasn't large - no larger than a Yacht of freighter. Han began to think about any of the numerous ships that it could be when it suddenly came blazing around the Shield Ship's pylon. Leia's voice came through the headset. "It's a SoroSuub Luxury-Yacht 3000. Why in the name of stars would a flashy ship like that be out here?"

Before anyone could say more, the transmitter crackled with a familiar voice. "Hello, strangers."

The voice was Luke's and, assuming that the ship was the _Jade Star_ , that meant that he and Mara were heading to visit Lando for some reason. Han had to stifle greeting Luke by name, saying instead, "Uh... hi. What - uh - whatcha doing here?"

With a chuckle, the voice replied, "I came to see Lando. Sorry if I startle you. When that shield ship told me I'd be going in with an unidentified ship, I thought that it could possibly be a trap. I wasn't completely sure it was you until a minute ago."

"Ah-huh;" replied Han as the yacht scooted in close. It certainly looked like the _Jade Star_ which made Han wonder why they hadn't taken the _Knight Returns._ Han didn't want to say too terribly much before being certain that he knew. As casually as possible, Han said, "So is this a social call or something?"

"Not really; I found an old gadget that Lando might help me identify. I also don't think we should talk about this in the open, however. What about you?" asked Luke. Han grimaced and replied, "I don't think we should talk about that either."

He muted the comms and called, "Leia, can you tell whether or not that's really Luke out there?"

Leia called back immediately. "It is and Mara's with him."

Han sighed with relief and dismounted the gun well. After years as a smuggler, rebel general and New Republic General, Han had come to the conclusion that having a wife who could communicate with other people through the force, even when she couldn't do that with him, came with a long list of advantages.

* * *

The shield ship pilot had been telling the truth when he had said ten hours. Finally, the shield ship delivered them to the night side of the world and both ships locked on to the location of Lando's mining operation. While they were waiting, Lando popped up on the transmitter. "Hey old buddy! It's about time you visited me. What are you doing here?"

Han smiled grimly. "Just thinking the same thing. How's it going, Lando?"

"Everything's going fine, old Buddy, just fine. Hey, is that the _Jade Star_ I see coming in with you?"

Leia stifled a chuckle as she remembered Lando's many failed attempts to seduce Mara before she and Luke were married. In the end, though, Calrissian had been a good friend, giving Mara the ship as a wedding gift. "Yeah, Luke and Mara are here too, Lando, though I'm not absolutely sure why. We'll have to ask them when we all land."

Suddenly, the transmitter crackled and Luke's voice came in. "Hello, Lando. I'm thoroughly impressed by this place. How did you manage to do it?"

They could all hear the pride in Lando's voice as he said, "I'll give you a grand tour when you land. In fact-" and without warning, the comms were cut with an electronic squeal. Han's eyes shot wide and Leia snapped, "What the hell is that?"

"Damnit! Someone's jamming us! Chewie, we've got trouble! Get your fury ass up here."

When the lumbering Wookiee arrived and sat in the copilot seat, Han snapped orders, "Get us a scan of the area and see if there's anything coming in."

Leia looked at Han, who was fiddling with the comms transmitter. "What are you doing?"

"Finding us a clear frequency;" he shot back.

* * *

Luke and Mara were stretching out with their senses as they were unknowingly doing the same as Han and Chewie. Mara operated the scanner with the calm, calculated efficiency that she did everything with while Luke worked through the comms frequency. It seemed like an eternity before something came crackling though. "-peating: Any ships who can read me, please check in!"

Luke replied quickly, "Lando, it's Luke. Any word from the _Falcon_?"

As if to answer the question, Han's voice suddenly came in. "We're right here, Luke. Lando, what the hell is going on?"

"It could just be a solar flair. They do happen from time to time but the pattern isn't right for that at all?" said Lando and Mara couldn't resist scoffing, "Really, Calrissian, is it ever that simple?"

"Mara, my Dear, how have you-" but his voice trailed off into a low hiss. "Lando, what is it?" asked Han nervously. After just a moment, the reply came and sent chills down their spines, "Imperial Star Destroyer coming in fast toward the planetary shadow."

Low gasps and one of Mara's choicest curses filled the comms relay before Leia was heard whispering, "They've found us."

The fear, frustration and anger radiating from Leia's presence in the _Falcon_ concerned Luke. "Luke, take the stick and I'll get to the guns;" murmured Mara. Luke obeyed automatically as he sent calming and reassuring thoughts towards Leia. _We're right, here Leia. Mara and I are with you._

The _Falcon_ and the _Star_ turned towards the Imperial Star Destroyer on an intercept course and Luke hoped to the force that they weren't biting off more than they could chew - again. "Luke!" crackled his transmitter with Han's anxious voice. "We're here, Han. Have any ideas?"

Luke could practically hear the wince in Han's voice. "I was hoping that you'd have one of those. We seem to be slightly outnumbered here."

From the _Star's_ gunner station, Mara called, "Does Lando have any fighters?"

"Yeah, but he's keeping them close to the complex. I have a sneaking suspicion that they aren't all that experienced;" replied Han with just a touch of tight dryness. Luke took a deep breath and said, "Right. Seems like we're the attack front then. Leia, calm your mind and settle into battle meditation. It can only help."

"Right;" came the reply and Luke turned the ship towards the oncoming fighters. They were in three wedges of four, screaming towards them and behind the TIE's were large ships of some kind. "Han, do you recognize those ships?"

"No, Luke, I don't. They're pretty big though - troop transports maybe?"

From behind Luke came Mara's voice. "I sure hope not. I'd warn Lando anyway but they don't look like any drop or assault ships that I've ever seen the Empire use. Granted, the Empire is getting more and more spread out. Perhaps they're just using what they can scrape together."

Han grunted but stayed silent. It didn't take them long to clear the first group of TIE's but another two squadrons were dropped and with them, a squadron of TIE Interceptors came. Mara cursed, "Kriff! We have interceptors!"

They were fast, zipping around the two New Republic ships. Luke had pushed the majority of his power to shields, leaving just enough in the weapons and thrusters for safety. Suddenly, the remaining TIE's withdrew, retreating to the Star Destroyer. "Their running;" said Luke, a little surprised. Over the comms, Leia said, "Yeah and those transports are heading back too. What was the purpose of this attack?"

* * *

 **The Athega system - Aboard the _Chimera_**

"The _Judicator_ is clear, Admiral;" said Captain Pellaeon as he looked over at Grand Admiral Thrawn. The blue skinned being looked over at Darth Diabolis. The Dark Lord was on his comlink, murmuring quietly. After a few moments, he cut the connection and announced, "We have obtained fifty-one of the mining facility's mole miners, Grand Admiral Thrawn."

"Fifty-one;" said the Grand Admiral, "Excellent. Your Dark Jedi had no problem getting them in and out?"

"None at all, my friend. They are getting better and more coordinated with every operation;" replied the Dark Lord with just a hint of pride in his words. "However, they did report that there were two New Republic ships that were able to take down a squadron and a half of TIE fighters and a half a squadron of the interceptors. If my Dark Jedi was right, there was a Jedi with them - one that was trained in battle meditation."

Thrawn's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me that some of Skywalker's Jedi just happened to be on Nkllon? Could they tell who it was?"

Diabolis pursed his lips for a moment before saying, "If I were to hazard a guess after the information given to me, I would say that it was the Skywalkers. At least the _Millennium Falcon_ and the _Jade Star_ were there and that strongly suggests those two. Had I known, I would have had more of a reception waiting for them."

Thrawn was silent. After several long seconds of silence, he said, "It would not have been the right time. I think that the less that the New Republic knows about our partnership, the better. At any rate, we have completed our goal. There will be more times and opportunities to eliminate the Skywalkers."

Diabolis felt his impatience flare but quelled it, knowing that driving the point would do none of them any good. Instead, he said, "I think that taking all three of them together is foolish. In fact, getting the three of them completely apart and preferably away from anyone else might give us our best chance."

Thrawn chuckled mirthlessly and said, "Indeed you are correct, my Lord. When you come up with such a plan, let me know. For my part, I cannot come up with a single one."

Diabolis's face suddenly turned into a smiled. "I need to borrow a ship and return to Wayland. I think I can find some Jedi relics that will serve as the perfect bait at least for Luke and Mara Skywalker. They are always looking for more Jedi knowledge. As for Organa Solo, I'm fairly certain that she will go into hiding of her own accord and we just need to figure out where and when."

Thrawn frowned and said, "You might be right but I would think it brash to commit forces until we can be certain."

At the blast door to the bridge, Diabolis grinned again, "Then we will make certain. Where shall I meet you next, Grand Admiral Thrawn?"

Thrawn frowned. "The rendezvous point will do fine, my Lord. Take whichever ship you think best."

When the Sith Lord was gone, Thrawn turned to Pellaeon. "I want the quickest projection for the most direct routes of a hyperdrive equipped star yacht from Nkllon to Coruscant as soon as may be, Captain."

Pellaeon complied and, while the navigator was working the system, asked Thrawn, "May I ask why, Admiral? Why are you certain that they will return there?"

Thrawn smiled coldly and said, "Mara Jade Skywalker is pregnant if my memory and Delta source serve me. Luke Skywalker will wish to get her back as fast as the ship can carry them. I want interdictors along all the direct routes and a Star Destroyer with each of them. If we are even luckier, then perhaps the _Millennium Falcon_ will be with them."

Pellaeon nodded, "And we can deliver them gift-wrapped to our Dark Lord."

"Precisely. First, lets drop some probes to keep tabs on them. It pays to thorough, Captain. Always be thorough;" said Grand Admiral Thrawn as he stroked his chin.

* * *

 **Nkllon - The Office of Lando Calrissian**

As soon as they had arrived, Han, Leia, Chewie and Threepio had found Lando venting and fuming about the loss of his equipment. He would pace back and fourth, railing against the Imperial attack before sitting to in a huff, only to stand back up and start over again. He went on like that for quite some time until finally flopping down in the chair behind his desk and looking at his guests. "I'm sorry. I'm neglecting my duties as a host again. Welcome to Nkllon."

He took Leia's hand and bent down to kiss the back of it. She smiled patiently at him but Han had to resist bristling, reminding himself that it was just how Lando was. The dark haired man was smiling broadly at them all and asked with a dramatic sweep of his hand, "What do you think of my little enterprise?"

"It's very impressive," replied Leia honestly. "How did you come up with the idea?"

Lando winked and said, "Oh, I've been kicking it around in the back of my mind. Plus, I found plans for something similar in the Cloud City computer banks from when Ecclessis Figg first built the place. Figg had this idea of a rolling mining facility here that could keep out of the planets direct sunlight."

Han grunted and said, "It didn't happen though. The terrain is too rough for something using treads or wheels."

Lando cocked a brow at him. "And how do you know that?"

Han shrugged. "I spent an afternoon going through some old Imperial and Republic records to make sure that no one had tried this place while you were trying to hustle Mon Mothma into funding this place."

Lando looked wounded. "Hustle? Me? I would never - that is a direct attack on my character. All the same, it was nice of you to go through the trouble. So anyway," and he looked at all of them with furrowed brows, "what's going on?"

"We should wait for Luke and Mara to talk about it;" murmured Leia before Han could say anything. Han nodded and looked around, "Where are they anyway?"

"Right here;" said Mara as the door to the room swooshed open. She came in with Luke right behind her. "Sorry for the delay. Had to make a quick stop."

Lando smiled suavely and said, "Mara, it is always a pleasure to see you! My, my, you are absolutely gl-"

"You don't want to finish that sentence, Lando. The last person who did wound up with a black eye;" said Luke almost cheerfully. Mara swatted at him before smiling politely at Lando and saying, "It's good to see you too, Calrissian. Love what you've done with the place."

Lando kissed her hand and showed her and Luke to seats before sitting back behind his desk. "Now, what in the stars is going on?"

They all exchanged looks and Han related everything to Lando. When all was said, Lando sighed and said, "You came here for help."

Leia and Han nodded. "Well, I'll see what I can do for you of course."

"Thank you;" said Leia. Lando waved it away with a smile. Han was about to ask a question when a Lando's wrist comlink went off. He answered and listened quietly before signing off. "My comms section just picked up a short range transmitter with an unusual frequency - and it appears to be coming from this lounge."

Mara pulled the beck-and-call device that she and Luke had found on Dagobah from her pocket. "This is probably it. It's a beck-and-call, right? We found it on our last errand and figured you could tell us more about it."

Lando looked at it with a little surprise. "Yeah, you're right. Pre-Clone Wars if I'm not mistaken. It works on ships with full slave circuit rigs. You can call it, send it away or even order it to attack or defend itself if you want, though it wouldn't operate as if there was a pilot at the stick."

Mara nodded, "I thought so. I have one on the _Star_. Pretty useful thing to have. You need a hell of a security system though or else someone could slice into it and take control."

Lando chuckled and said, "That would have to be a hell of a slicer though. I know dozens of slicers but maybe only one who could pull that off. These things come in mighty handy, you know."

Han chimed in, "Yeah, tell that to the Katana Fleet."

Lando winced and said, "Well that was before we knew enough to put in safe guards to prevent something like that happening. Anyhow, where did you two find this anyway?"

They glanced at one another quietly before answering, "On a swampy world called Dagobah."

"Dagobah?" said Han, "Like where that Bpfasshi Dark Jedi appeared during the Clone Wars?"

Luke and Mara nodded silently. Lando fiddled with the device. "This must have been his then. I wonder what ever happened to that old Dark Jedi anyway."

Luke and Mara looked at each other and shrugged. Yoda had never mentioned it but they both suspected that Yoda had killed the Dark Jedi there in the cave where the dark side nexus was. They said nothing however. Leia looked at them and cocked one perfectly groomed eyebrow. Luke hastily sent her a mental communication, telling her of his and Mara's suppositions. Mara cleared her throat and said, "Anyhow, we got our answers but what about Han and Leia?"

Lando nodded. "Right. You two never told us exactly what you needed."

"We need a place to hide where Leia can still stay in touch with galactic events while the New Republic figures out how the hell the Empire keeps figuring out where we're gonna be. Is there any chance you have some marginally legal contacts who can give us a hand with that. For that, we're gonna need a really good slicer to quietly tap into a diplomatic station. Any ideas?"

Lando considered for a moment and then sighed, "Look, Han, there was one I knew for awhile but he disappeared with Talon Karrde when X1 tried to capture him. Now Karrde's in the wind and his entire organization it being ran from the shadows. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say that the majority of low level shippers and smugglers don't even know where he is."

Han sighed and leaned back. "Yeah I know. I've been looking for Karrde myself. To be honest, he was the first person I would have looked for if I thought that there was a chance. I know a couple of old boys who still work for him but I don't know how high they are in his food chain."

Mara chewed a plump red lip before saying, "Even if we knew where to find him, we'd still need a place to keep Leia safe."

Han looked sharply at Luke and Mara. "What about you two? They're probably after you every bit as hard as Leia. Shouldn't you guys be going into hiding too?"

Mara snorted and said, "Are you kidding? I have a dozen Jedi around me most of the time and so does Luke. We don't travel too much like Leia has to with her missions. I'm not worried about myself as much as Leia because every mission she goes on is another attempt on her life. If I stay at home, I'll always be defended. Luke too."

Han, Leia and Lando all looked skeptical but let it go as they considered Leia's needs. Suddenly, Chewbacca gave a couple of roars and growls and Han looked sharply at him before sighing and saying, "Chewie has a suggestion. He says that if you want, he's willing to take you to Kashyyyk."

They all looked startled and Leia said rather carefully, "I was always under the impression that Wookiees discouraged humans on their world. Chewie murmured something and Han pulled a face, "They were friendly enough to humans before the Empire rose and started to enslave them. The good news is that they could keep it quiet. The only people who would know is you, Chewie, the New Republic representative and maybe two others."

Leia frowned and said, "Yes but doesn't that lead back to the New Republic rep knowing about me?"

Han lifted a finger and replied, "Yes but he or she would be a Wookiee. If they accept you under their personal protection and won't betray you. My only problem is the fact the Kashyyyk itself is not the safest planet in the galaxy. You'd be staying in tree hundreds of meters above the ground, Hon."

Leia took his hand and murmured, "I'll be with Chewie. You've trusted your own life to him before."

Han looked apologetically at his oldest friend before saying, "This is different."

"Why don't you just go with them?" asked Luke. Han sighed and rubbed his temples, "I planned to but Chewie thinks that I'll gain her more time by flying around in the _Falcon_ pretending that she's still with us."

Leia smiled and said, "That makes sense. Chewie and I will be fine."

Lando stood and stretched. "Take the _Lady Luck_ , my personal ship. Han, if you want some extra help, I can tag along."

Han stood too and said, "Alright. We'll both leave at the same time and once we're past the shield ship depot, Leia and Chewie will leave and no one will be the wiser."

Mara looked at them both and said, "Just one problem, boys - how are you going to convince the galaxy that Leia's on board the _Falcon_ and not the _Lady Luck_?"

Lando gave a smile and a wink. "I have an idea about that. Leia, I'm gonna need to borrow See-Threepio. Give me about thirty minutes with my chief programmer and I'll have everything set up for us."

It took longer than any of them had thought. See-Threepio's programming proved problematic at first but they figured it out quickly. While the work was being finished, Leia went to Luke and Mara. "I was going to ask one or both of you to come with but I picked up from your minds that you two had something already in mind."

Neither Luke nor Mara looked very happy. With a sigh, Luke said, "I thought that, in order to make it harder to track us, I would take a couple of the newer students out into the field for a practical training period. Before I leave, I'm assigning Ferroda and his two students as Mara's Jedi bodyguards," and he looked at his wife with patient fondness, "despite the fact that she seems to think that it isn't necessary."

Mara rolled her eyes. "I am going to be in the heart of the New Republic in a fortress where Jedi are being trained. Is extra security really necessary?"

Luke explained patiently, "Yes it is. One of us needs to be at the council meetings but we can't all be together until we figure out the Empire's source. You were an intel agent and assassin, Dearest. What odds would you give yourself given our plans?"

Mara looked away, refusing to answer - which, of course, was the answer. Luke looked at Leia and said, "If you'd like, I can send Nisotsa or someone else out to meet with you on Kashyyyk so that you have a little extra protection."

Leia chewed her lip and nodded. "Someone would be great. Maybe the two Dathomir witches. You shouldn't stretch your Knights too thin or else there will be no one left to teach."

Mara chuckled and said, "She has you there, Farmboy."

Leia nodded and asked, "I take it that you'll both be headed back to Coruscant to drop Mara off, pick up a couple students and the _Knight Returns_?"

Luke nodded. "Yup. That was my goal. We'll have Kirana Ti and Damaya meet you on Kashyyyk. I'll give a fake mission to the council, one that will make it seem like they should be gone indefinitely."

They all nodded.

* * *

When all was prepared, three ships were escorted out by the shield ships. Leia bid Luke and Mara farewell through their mental link in the force and wished that she could do the same for Han. As it was, they had bid one another farewell on Nkllon and that would have to suffice.

 **Updated 12.05.2017**


	8. Chapter 8: Escape

**Deep Space - Aboard the _Jade Star_**

Luke woke to the sound of the proximity alarm. "Turn it off;" muttered Mara moodily. Luke chuckled and went to the cockpit. The sight before him froze him for just a moment. There in the forward viewport was a bulk freighter being assailed by an Imperial Star Destroyer. "Blast!"

Off to one side was also one of the Empire's Interdictor cruiser, it's gravity well generators on full power. Mara came into the cockpit and cursed, jumping into the pilot seat. "How far away are we from getting out of the gravity well?"

Luke looked at Artoo who was at the sensor and comms station. The droid whistled and both Luke and Mara cursed together. Mara growled, "Let's get the hell out of here."

Just as they were about to flee, the comms unit chimed. Wincing, Mara activated it. "Unidentified Luxury Yacht _,_ this is the Imperial Star Destroyer _Chimaera_ ; state your cargo, your business and your purpose in being in this sector."

"Well, there goes the idea that we might not be noticed;" muttered Mara. Luke couldn't help but chuckle. "Your shocked?"

She shot him a glare as she attempted to bring the ship around. The Imperial on the comms angrily repeated the demand. Luke looked sideways at his wife. "Oh dearest, you don't happen to have a false identity for this ship do you."

To his surprise, Mara blushed and muttered something under her breath. Luke sat down beside her and said, "I didn't quite catch that, Love."

"No," she said, "I haven't taken the time to throw any together."

Luke sighed and said, "Well it was worth an ask. Let's run for the edge of the mass shadow. Any indication on where it is?"

Mara sighed and said, "Too far - about six kilometers away. Drop the deflector shields, push as much power as possible to the engines."

Luke followed her orders wordlessly. If he hadn't known any better, he would have suggested that he take the helm but he had learned even before they were married that would have been a monumentally bad idea. To his relief, it didn't seem that the _Chimaera_ was very intent on vaporizing them. However, that didn't mean much since they were intent on making sure that Luke and Mara didn't escape. With a jolt, the _Jade Star_ was brought to a stand still. Mara murmured to Luke, "Any ideas, Farmboy?"

Luke chewed his lower lip before saying. "Do you have a way to vent the cargo hold?"

Mara glared and said, "There is no way I'm doing that. There some expensive and important stuff back there."

Luke gave her an exasperated look and said, "Well okay, do you have any suggestions?"

With a tight little smile, she called over her shoulder, "Artoo, I need you to reprogram one of the proton torpedoes. Can you do that?"

Luke frowned for just a moment before it dawned on him what his darling wife was up to. Grinning, he went to the copilot seat and began working the instruments. "How does a drop at delta-v and then a turn around heading left sound?"

Mara grinned. "Sexy. Ditch the sensors and homing codes so that it goes out cold. Let us know when it's ready, Whistles?"

Artoo gave an irritated chirp and Mara chuckled. "Come on. We have got to get you a nickname other than Artoo. It's not personal enough."

The destroyer was still in the the rear scopes of the ship. With a light thump, the torpedo exited the tube. "I got it;" murmured Luke as he gave the warhead a nudge with the force. "Hey that light freighter is completely empty. Send the torpedo that way."

Luke looked at her. "You sure?"

At the patient look that Mara gave him, Luke said, "Okay. Here it goes."

Moments later, the brilliant multiple detonation lit up the scopes as the freighter blew. Moments later, they jolted free of the tractor beam as the debris from the freighter disrupted it. Immediately, the Star Destroyer opened fire while shifting around to try and get an angle as the _Jade Star_ soared laterally from it's original course. "Balancing shields and thrusters;" murmured Luke, purely out of habit as he carried out the actions. "Stand by for the jump to lightspeed. I'm heading towards once of the nearer systems, selecting at random."

Suddenly, the force nudged her and Mara picked the Myrkr system. Just before she could pull the lever, the ship jolted to a standstill again. "Karabast!" snapped Mara and Luke slammed his artificial hand on the arm of his chair in frustration. "Pushing full power to the drives;" said Mara tightly. It was no use. From the comms unit, a tight Imperial accented voice said, "Unidentified Luxury Yacht, further resistance will only end in damage to your ship. You are ordered to power down and prepare to dock."

"Not on you life, Imperial scum;" muttered Mara, drawing a tight chuckle from Luke. She glared at him and demanded, "What?"

"No matter how long it's been;" he explained, "I still find it mildly amusing hearing you say 'Imperial scum'."

Mara _humphed_ and went back to work. Suddenly she tensed and chewed a plump red lip. Luke looked at her and tried to access her mind through their bond but she was skillfully evading his probing thought. "Mara;" he said, "what are you thinking?"

Without answering, she began to hit switches and then gripped the trigger. "Okay;" and she took a deep breath. Then, suddenly, she flipped a switch and the _Star_ jolted to a dead stop, throwing both of them against their restraints. "Ouch! Mara!" complained Luke. There was a sound of rending and screeching metal from somewhere on the ship and Mara winced as she squeezed the trigger. "Sorry, Baby;" she murmured, patting the instrument panel as two proton torpedoes shot from their ports and Mara gunned it. With another horrible screeching sound, they were free. The tractor beam was tracking the twin torpedoes. Then they were gone, leaving only twin wisps of exhaust as the two small objects were yanked off course. "Alright, get ready to make the jump;" said Mara. Luke was ready, his hand on the lever. The Star Destroyer was going at them with everything it had now, turbo laser cannons blasting away at them. Several blasts came way to close and one even slammed squarely into rear deflector, dropping it completely. "Jump! Now!" said Mara and Luke pulled the lever. As the stars turned to lines and those lines turned to the beautiful blue tunnel of hyperspace, Mara breathed a sigh of relief. Then Luke was there, checking on her. "Are you okay? You slammed us around pretty hard. How's the baby?"

They both put hands on Mara's swollen abdomen. She gave a relieved chuckled. "It was a little stressed out earlier but I think it seems to have calmed down. Little thing has absolute faith in us even before it's born."

Luke sighed with relief and collapsed back into his chair. "Okay... so, where are we headed?"

Mara looked at her instruments and replied, "The Myrkr system. Sounds familiar, too;" she began to examine the map and then scowled. "It's where those nasty yslamiri come from. I sure hope there isn't still a Consortium base there."

Luke cocked a brow and said, "Why did you pick there anyway?"

"The force nudged me for some reason. I can't explain why."

 **Deep Space - Aboard the _Chimaera_**

It seemed like a short eternity that Grand Admiral Thrawn stared through the viewport at where the flashy luxury yacht had been when it had vanished. Captain Pellaeon and the young Dark Jedi Acolyte stood tautly after sharing a quick glance, wondering when the inevitable explosion would come. With half an ear, the Captain listened to the damage control reports coming from the number four tractor beam projector, carefully not getting involved in the cleanup.

In truth, the destruction of one of the ships ten projectors was a relatively minor loss. However, that yacht, already identified as as the ship owned by a certain traitor Mara Jade, now Mara Jade Skywalker, was not. Thrawn finally turned and looked at Pellaeon. "Come with me, Captain." said the Admiral, striding away from the main command walkway. Pellaeon fell into step with a "Yes, Sir;" as the memories of how Darth Vader had dealt with his subordinates' failures went through his mind. The bridge was silent as the Grand Admiral led the way to one of the crew pits and descended into it. He strode past the crewers at their consoles and past the officers standing painfully erect behind them and came to a halt at the control station for the starboard tractor beams. To the young man seated at the console, Thrawn said in a deceptively calm voice, "Your name;"

"Cris Pieterson, sir," answered the young man, his eyes wary. "You were in charge of the tractor beam during the engagement with that luxury yacht."

"Yes, sir-but what happened wasn't my fault."

Thrawn's black eyebrow arched just a bit. "Explain."

"The targets did something with their acceleration compensator that killed his velocity vector-"

"I'm aware of the facts," Thrawn cut in. "I'm waiting to hear why his escape wasn't your fault."

"I was never properly trained for such an occurrence, sir. The computer lost the lock but seemed to pick it up again right away. There was no way for me to know it had really picked up something else until-"

"Until the proton torpedoes detonated against the projector?"

The young crew man held Thrawn's gaze evenly. "Yes, sir."

Thrawn studied him for a long moment before asking, "Who is your officer?"

"Ensign Colclazure, sir."

Slowly, deliberately, Thrawn turned to the tall man standing rigidly at attention with his back to the walkway. "You are in charge of this man?"

Colclazure swallowed visibly. "Yes, sir."

"Was his training also your responsibility?"

"Yes, sir," replied Colclazure. Thrawn nodded and asked, "Did you, during that training, run through any scenarios similar to what just happened?"

"I ... I don't remember, sir. The standard training package does include scenarios concerning loss of lock and subsequent reestablishment confirmation."

Thrawn threw a brief glance at Pieterson. "Did you recruit him as well?"

"No, sir. He was a conscript."

Thrawn nodded again. "Does that make him less worthy of your training time than a normal enlistee."

Colclazure's eyes flicked to Pieterson. "No, sir. I've always tried to treat subordinates equally."

"I see;" said Thrawn quietly before half turning to look over Pellaeon's shoulder. "Rukh."

Pellaeon started as Rukh brushed silently passed him. He hadn't realized that the Noghri had followed them down. Thrawn waited until Rukh was standing at his side and then turned back to Colclazure. "Do you know the difference between an error and a mistake, Ensign?"

The entire bridge had gone deathly still. Colclazure swallowed again, his face starting to go pale. "No, sir."

"Anyone can make an error, Ensign. It doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it." He raised a finger and almost lazily pointed.

Pellaeon never even saw Rukh move. Pieterson certainly never had time to scream. From further down the crew pit came the sound of someone trying valiantly not to be sick. Thrawn glanced over Pellaeon's shoulder once more and gestured. The silence was broken again by a pair of Stormtroopers coming forward. "Dispose of it," ordered the Grand Admiral before turning away from the crumpled body to face Colclazure. "The error, Ensign," Thrawn told the other softly, "has been corrected. You may begin training a replacement."

Then, leaving the Ensign to his devices, Thrawn turned to Pellaeon. "I want a full technical/tactical readout on the last few seconds of that encounter, Captain. I'm particular interested in their hyperspace vector."

A lieutenant stepped up hesitantly and said, "I have it all here, sir."

Thrawn received the datapad. "Thank you;" said Thrawn and gave the screen a quick glance before handing it to Pellaeon. "We'll have them, Captain. Very soon now, we will have him."

Pellaeon nodded. "Of course, sir. I'm sure it's only a matter of time."

Thrawn gave a quiet chuckle and said, "You misunderstand me, Captain. I mean that literally. They're out there right now, not too far away and they are helpless."

Pellaeon frowned. Thrawn was about to explain when the Dark Jedi Acolyte jumped in. "That maneuver has an interesting side effect. Now that yacht has been heavily modified so they may have had some safe guards but they weren't enough. I saw the sparks and smoke myself. You see, backfiring an acceleration compensator like that usually does severe damage to the adjoining hyperdrive. Now, do to the fact the our intel on Mara Jade tells us she loves to modify her toys, I would assume she has done anything and everything she can to guard against that. However, she still made it at least a lightyear and at most..." and the young Acolyte shook her head. "Who knows but I would say no further than the three closest systems."

Thrawn nodded and said, "Well spoken, Acolyte. She's right, though I am curious how you know so much about modern space travel considering your hibernation of four thousand years, give or take."

The Acolyte shrugged and said, "I got one of Tyber Zann's mercs to teach me everything he could. He wasn't too hard to convince."

Thrawn chuckled, "I have no doubt. The point is, all we need to do is search along that vector or convince others to search for us and and they'll be ours."

Pellaeon nodded. "Yes sir. Shall I contact the rest of the fleet?"

Thrawn shook his head. "Preparing for the Sluis Van attack is the fleet's top priority at the moment. No, I think we'll subcontract this one out. I want you to send messages to all the smuggling chiefs whose groups operate in this area. Use their personal frequencies and encrypt codes just as a little reminder of how much we know about each of them. That should ensure their cooperation. Give them the Skywalkers' vector and offer a bounty of fifty thousand for both of them captured."

"Yes, sir." complied Pellaeon before glancing down into the crew pit again. "Sir, if you knew that the Skywalkers' escape was only temporary..."

"The Empire is at war, Captain;" replied Thrawn, his voice icy cold. "We can't afford the luxury of officers whose minds are so limited they cannot adapt to unexpected situations. Carry out your orders, Captain. They will be ours - alive or otherwise."

* * *

 **The Myrkr System - Aboard the _Jade Star_**

Luke gazed at the instrument panel as the ship ran itself through self-diagnostics. It didn't look great. Somehow, that little maneuver Mara and he had pulled had done some pretty nasty damage to the _Star_. With a sigh, he called out, "Hey Artoo, any quick diagnosis of the major problems thus far?"

The droid rolled in, whistling and tweetling with a datapad hooked up to him so that Luke could fully understand him. Apparently, the hyperdrive motivators had burnt out getting them this far. Apparently they had just barely made it into the Myrkr system before the hyperdrive had stalled out. "Mara? Where are you at?" called Luke. To his surprise, he found her in the galley, sniffling and eating spoonfuls of chocolate frozen dessert. "Are you okay, Mara?" he asked quietly. Mara looked up at him, the mixture of dismay and self deprecation on her face almost comical. "Blasted pregnancy cravings and hormones - just hit me at the very wrong time."

Luke smiled sympathetically and wrapped his arms around her from behind. While he held her, he murmured, "So ... do you want the bad news or the worse news?"

Mara sighed and said, "What's the worse news?"

"Well the hyperdrive motivators are absolutely shot, as are the repulsers somehow."

Mara sighed again and said, "Okay so, the bad news is?"

"The bad news is that we aren't exactly near anything. We aren't deep enough into the system to be noticed. It looks like our only hope is to send out a distress beacon and hope that someone else in the area gets to us before the Empire does."

Mara thought about it before spooning more of the frozen creamy chocolate into her mouth. Finally, she said, "Alright. Activate the beacon but shift all power to the weapons, shields and only the minimum to the life support and environmental controls. If you have to, we can break out the cold weather gear."

Luke nodded and went to the storage locker, breaking out a pair of cold weather suits and getting them ready. After setting them to the side, he went to the comms station where Artoo-Deetoo was plugged in. "Hey, buddy. Activate the emergency beacon across all channels. Hold off on the known Imperial ones. I don't want to make it too easy for them. Oh, and I would also hold off on all known Zann Consortium channels too. I don't want us to run into Diabolis's forces when we aren't at least fighting ready."

The droid moaned morosely but complied and Luke began shutting down systems. When he had closed down all but the life support, the weapons and the shields, he headed back to the galley. Mara was no longer there. "In here, Farmboy;" came the call from the storage locker. When Luke got there, he found that she was putting together a tool belt. "I know I have the parts to at least get us the repulsers working. According to the diagnostic, the power regulators and anti gravity compensators are the reason the stupid things are down. Those can be repaired from in here - we just need to get into one of the maintenance hatches."

Luke nodded and held out a hand expectantly. "What?" asked Mara, just slightly petulant. Luke smiled at her and said, "You know exactly what, Mara Jade Skywalker. There is no way you are cramming into a tiny space in your current state. Now give me the tool belt and then you can tell me what I need to do."

Mara hesitated before relinquishing the belt, growling as she did, "This is going to be the last time you ever get me pregnant, Skywalker."

Luke sighed in resignation and said, "Yes, you've said that before. Come on, let's get to work. Bring the cold environment suits too."

* * *

 **Hyperspace - The _Lady Luck_**

Leia woke slowly from her rest in the cramped cabin of the _Lady Luck_. Out of habit, she cast around herself with the force. Nothing. There was nothing except the unmistakable presence of Chewbacca in the cockpit. Sighing, Leia rose and dressed herself. As she did, she felt the subtle shift as the ship switched from sublight drives to repulsers and they entered Kashyyyk's atmosphere. Despite all the reassurances that Han and Chewie had given her, Leia immediately felt the stirrings of unease within her gut again. She knew that the Wookiees still harbored great animosity towards humans because of their treatment and enslavement by the Empire. Her political position in the New Republic notwithstanding, she knew that her difficulty in understanding their language would be problematic. Not for the first time, and probably not for the last, Leia wished that Lando could have used another droid to send that fake message back to Coruscant. Threepio would have been helpful here.

The ship was already coming in on landing approach when Leia reached the cockpit. As they went passed through a thin layer of cloud, Leia marveled at the size of Kashyyyk's famous wroshyr trees. "Is that the typical size for those, Chewie - the wroshyr trees I mean?"

Chewie growled in a clear negative. "They're the ones you put nursery rings on, then."

Chewie gave her a very clear look, even for his furry, hard-to-read face. Leia chuckled, "Don't look so shocked. Some of us humans know a little about Wookiee culture. We aren't _all_ ignorant savages, you know."

With the familiar, _gruf-gruf-gruf_ , the Wookiee chuckled. After flying through a few more cloud banks and into the trees, they came upon a large city suspended in the tree tops. Leia marveled at it, seeing that it had no visible supports from where they were. A short time later, Chewie had set the _Lady Luck_ down on a platform large enough for an Imperial strike cruiser. As they came down the ramp, there were two of the tall, hairy beings waiting for them. One of them bowed and opened his mouth to speak. "I to you, Leia Organa Solo, bring greetings. I to Rwookrrorro welcome you."

Leia felt her jaw drop in surprise before she managed. "Ah... th-thank you. I'm... um... honored to be here."

"As we by yourr presence arre honored," he replied politely.. "I am Ralrracheen. You may find it easierr to call me Ralrra."

Having sufficiently recovered, Leia replied, "I'm honored to meet you."

Beside her, Chewbacca was chuckling. Leia turned to him with a rueful smile. "Let me guess - you've had a speech impediment all these years and never thought to tell me?"

Chewie's laughter was even louder and Ralrra told her, "It is I who has a speech impediment. Strangely, it is the kind of trrouble that humans find easier to understand."

"I see. Were you an ambassador then?" asked Leia. The air around suddenly grew cold and Ralrra replied softly, "I was a slave to the Empirre - as was Chewbacca before Han Solo freed him. My captors found me useful to speak with the otherr Wookiee slaves."

"I'm sorry;" said Leia quietly. Ralrra gave a low growl and insisted, "You must not be. My role gave me much information about the Empirre's forces. Information that proved useful when yourr Alliance freed us."

After they had greeted the other Wookiee, one of Chewie's close friends named Salporin, Ralrra showed them to their accommodations. As they walked, Leia asked numerous question about the city and learned that it was held up by the fact that the trees had literally grown together and that the vines were as strong as the strongest metal cable. It fascinated her. They had to take an open air liftcarr which made Leia extremely nervous. When they arrived and as they slipped through a part of the village, Leia looked into the windows of one of the houses and could have sworn she saw a steely gray face peering at her. "Chewie!" she cried, her hand dropping to her lightsaber. The furry giant was there in a moment. "One of those weird creatures that came after us on Bimmisaari is in that building."

Chewie and Salporin went inside, weapons at the ready while Ralrra placed himself between the building and Leia. By the time the two Wookiees emerged, there was a small crowed forming. They shook their heads. "He was there, I saw him;" insisted Leia. "That may be, but whatever it was is not gone."

Leia chewed her well formed lip. There were no buildings close enough for the alien to have slipped into unnoticed. The only other option was- "He went over the edge," she exclaimed, "either working his way under the village with climbing gear or met by a hover craft of some kind."

Ralrra cocked his head to one side before saying, "That is unlikely but possible. I will go down the liftcarr and trry to discoverr him."

Chewie growled and Ralrra conceded. "You arre right, Chewbacca. Yourr safety is our main concerrn, Leia Orrgana Solo and we will make surre you arre safe beforre making inquirries."

 _Saftey_ , Leia thought to herself, wondering if there would ever be such a thing as her safety.

 **Updated 12.05.2017**


	9. Chapter 9: Old Friends?

**The Myrkr System - Aboard the** ** _Jade Star_**

It took some time to get just the power regulators fixed. However, one of the few design flaws in the Sorosuub Luxury 2000 Star Yacht was found in the difficulty in getting to the anti-gravity compensators. They were wedged in a place were someone Luke's size couldn't possibly get to. Mara, if she hadn't been pregnant, might have been able to. Sighing, and beginning to feel the drop in temperature, Luke crawled out and changed into his cold weather suit as he explained. "Well getting to those anti-grav compensators is next to impossible. I might just have to use the force but even that is going to be hard. It requires the most perfect alignment or else we'll completely blow the repulsers."

Mara cocked a perfect brow. "You're worried about perfect alignment when using the force? _You?_ Come on, Skywalker! If there is anyone who shouldn't have to worry about that it's you and maybe Wade considering his exceptional gift with this kind of thing. Here are the parts. I'll be right there to make sure that you're careful."

Luke nodded and took the parts, removing them from their packaging and pushing them ahead of him back into the cramped hatch. Mara's mind fully melded with his and his reached out towards the damaged parts with the force. When he had a firm grip, he slowly removed them. That was the easy part. After clearing the way, Luke took a deep breath and lifted the parts. In his mind, he heard Mara giving him direction as she read it from the manual. Ever so carefully, Luke replaced the parts. It took less time than it would have by hand. As soon as he was out, Luke cuddled up to Mara for warmth. It had gotten very cold. "Out of curiosity, why did you want me to turn off the environment controls?"

"If we get attacked, I want as much power going to the weapons and shields as possible. That way, we can do some damage with the guns and make them weary of attacking us."

Luke chuckled. That was just so very Mara - hit them hard enough for them to not want to come after you again. After a moment, Luke stood and helped her up. He called out as he rubbed her arms vigorously, "Hey Artoo, run diagnostics again and check the condition of the repulsers."

The droid whistled and they headed towards the cockpit. The diagnostics looked good and Mara smiled. "Alright! Let's get in towards one of the planets. We can try and contact someone and purchase parts. If they have none, I'm sure we can use someones long range comms and get someone to come out here and pick us up."

Luke chuckled at that. Suddenly, Artoo whistled excitedly. Luke turned and saw that someone was hailing them on the comms. Hurrying over, Luke muttered, "Start a scan on that ship. I want to know its armament and payload and its cargo too if possible."

With that, he took a breath and hit the receiver. "- need of assistance?"

Luke frowned. The voice sounded vaguely familiar. "Repeating: Unidentified Star Yacht, this is the _Wild Karrde_ , are you in need of assistance?"

Luke could have wept for joy. Clearing his throat, he replied, " _Wild Karrde_ , this is the star yacht _Jade Star_ and as a matter of fact, yes we could use your assistance."

Out the viewport, he saw an old but reliable Action IV bulk freighter. It looked to be in fantastic shape and the way it was maneuvering, it was either empty or had a massively upgraded drive system. The voice was just a moment before coming back. "Acknowledged, _Jade Star_. What seems to be the problem?"

Mara was there now and she replied, "Hyperdrive - lost both motivators and one of them has a blown shield casing, too. I don't suppose you have any spares on board."

The voice on the other end sounded like it was stifling laughter. "For a Star Yacht like that? We don't on board but I'd be willing to bet good credits we do at home. Hold on-"

Luke was frowning. That name sounded so familiar - and it sent physical memory with it as well, one that Mara was catching and she sent him a cocked brow. "You know this woman, Farmboy?"

Luke was about to reply when the voice said, " _Jade Star_ , if your crew would care to come aboard, we can offer you passage to our destination planet. We aren't far."

Mara frowned and asked pointedly, "Sounds great - and my ship"?

"Well the holds are full and that baby wouldn't fit inside anyway. Even if it could, I doubt you could afford our shipping prices."

There was a brief pause and then the voice said, "We'll take it in tow. There will be a force cylinder headed your way - unless you feel like cold shirting it."

Luke winced at the idea of Mara trying that. "Cylinder sounds great."

Mara was chewing a plump read lip. After a moment, she asked, "How much baggage can you take on board? How much will we be able to take with us when we reach our destination while our ships getting repaired?"

The other's voice came over. "You won't need too terribly much. I can't imagine it takes that long - unless you tricked that hyperdrive out. Did you?"

Luke resisted the urge to chuckle and replied, "Yeah but I had a hand in it. It shouldn't be too hard to do it again. How in space did you wind up all the way out here anyway? We're nowhere near anything."

Mara cocked a brow at his light probe. Over their force bond she asked, _you really think that was going to work, Farmboy?_

 _No harm in trying something;_ replied Luke. Mara chuckled but didn't say anything else. "Will you be taking the droid along with you?" asked the pilot or comms officer or whoever it was. Mara answered, "Yes we will."

"Sounds good. Oh, incidentally, the transport fee for a ship that size will be twelve thousand."

Mara came back, "No more than ten thousand. You barely do any work. Hell, my first officer is going to be doing most of the work anyway. Besides, you aren't transporting, you're towing."

Luke looked at his wife with wide eyes. Was she trying to get them left stranded again? To his complete and utter surprise, the female on the other end replied, "The Captain likes the sound of you, whoever you are. He said ten thousand will do just fine if you both do him the honor of having a meal with him."

Luke chuckled. "That's an easy deal."

They both waited as the force cylinder fastened on the ship over one of the hatches. They waited for several moments before opening the hatch. Their was a mild breeze and as soon as they entered the cylinder, the gravity was gone. Above the was the freighter's airlock. The three of them floated upwards and it was mere moments before they were all inside. The outer airlock hatch shut and they slowly landed on the deck. After a moment, the inner door opened, revealing a woman of medium height with black hair and a strangely elaborate outfit for the setting - a dress that fit tightly down to the hips. Mara sent over their bond, _is this your old friend?_

Luke could have laughed but didn't, replying instead, _never seen her in my whole life._

The woman said, "Welcome aboard the _Wild Karrde_. My captain wants to speak to you."

Luke nodded with a smile and said, "Wouldn't miss it. How is Talon Karrde these days?"

The woman considered him for a moment before replying, "Better now that he doesn't have the New Republic, the Empire and the Zann consortium or whatever the hell it's called now breathing down his back. This way please."

It had been several years since they had found themselves aboard the _Wild Karrde_ but nothing had changed. Luke and Mara could have found the way themselves with little difficulty but they didn't complain. When they reached the door to Karrde's ornate office, the woman stepped through the door before them and said, "Talon, Rianna - your guests are aboard."

Luke's blue eyes widened and Mara sensed the recognition. Inside and behind a desk was Talon Karrde and next to him on the edge of the desk was an orange skinned Twi'lek woman with one prosthetic lekku. As soon as Luke entered, she grinned and walked quickly up to him, hugging him with a little too much familiarity for Mara's taste. "Luke Skywalker! I haven't seen you since - since... hell I don't even know but it was before Endor and Renegade Squadron disbanded. How are you doing, Flyboy?"

Luke blushed but forced it down with the force. "I'm doing great Rianna - minus ship troubles of course. So this is where you wound up. I often wondered. You weren't working with Karrde a couple years back."

Rianna shook her head. "Nope. I was a mercenary working for the Corporate Sector for a few years but after all the do-gooding with the Rebel Alliance, I couldn't stomach it. Then I found Karrde and he offered me a job and here I am - his second in command actually."

Talong Karrde himself was watching with great interest. When Luke and Rianna were finished greeting one another, Luke made the introductions. "Rianna, this is my wife-"

"Mara Jade Skywalker - a pleasure to meet you. I knew it had to be someone remarkable to finally land this one;" said Rianna, shaking Mara's hand and indicating Luke. Luke chuckled and said, "And Mara, this is Rianna. We fought together during the Rebellion era."

Talon Karrde chuckled and said, "More than fought, I hear but enough of that. I must say that I am pleasantly surprised to see you both again. I am quite curious as to what brings you out here in the middle of nowhere."

Both Luke and Mara remembered Karrde's little information game and fell into it with ease. "Well we aren't here by choice, that's for sure - though I have to say that it is interesting to meet another of my darling husband's ex girlfriends;" said Mara with a sweet smile. Rianna laughed and said, "Oh I'm sure we could have some fun conversation over drinks - or not considering;" and she motioned at Mara's abdomen. Mara grinned and said, "Oh we'll figure something out."

Luke looked decidedly uncomfortable. Talon Karrde chuckled and said, "You've both met my bodyguard as well - Shada D'ukal. After all that unpleasantness with that insane Dark Jedi clone warlord X1, I decided a little extra security wouldn't be too much trouble."

Mara nodded. "I'll bet. You know, we've been looking for you, Karrde. You've become a notoriously hard man to find."

Karrde smiled tightly and said, "Good, I'm glad. I made the decision to cut back on my dealings with the New Republic after last time - thought that maybe gaining some space between my organization and the government would be a wise course of action."

Neither Luke nor Mara could blame him the way things had gone during the fight against X1's clone armies. Karrde had nearly lost everything. Not only that, Admiral Ackbar and Borsk Fey'lya and wanted him brought in and the information forced out of him. Luke and Mara had decided that they would let him go, much to the fore mentioned beings' displeasure. When Fey'lya had demanded disciplinary action, Luke had said that they had resigned their commissions before letting Karrde go and when the admiral in charge of their task force had been asked, the man had confirmed that he had commanded the fleet home. Luke and Mara had taken the _Knight Returns_ themselves.

That was ancient history though. "Enough of this gloomy talk of the past. Let us have dinner. It's the best my cooks can offer. I even have a selection of beverages for you, Madam Skywalker."

"Jade Skywalker," Mara corrected coolly, much to everyone's amusement, "and hot chocolate would be wonderful if you have any."

"Of course. Over dinner, we can discuss how you wound up out here."

* * *

Dinner was quite sumptuous and Mara even went the whole meal without feeling sick to her stomach. While they ate, Luke gave a very abbreviated version of how they had wound up in the Myrkr System though he made no mention of their predicament other than to say that they had run afoul of the Empire. To this Karrde had gravely replied, "Yes, they have become quite active in this part of the galaxy. We happened on you purely by accident since we are on our way in to our home-base now. Would you care for dessert?"

"Luke?" asked Mara, suddenly sounding exhausted. Luke looked over just in time to see her collapse backwards. Just then, he felt it himself. He attempted to call on the force to remove any ill effects of drug or poison but he couldn't reach it - couldn't even sense it. The last thing to go through his mind was one dreadful realization: yslamiri.

 **Updated 12.06.2017**


	10. Chapter 10: Negotiations

**Myrkr - Talon Karrde's Base**

Luke awoke very slowly and in stages as if coming out of a very deep sleep and he immediately realized two things. One, he was lying on his back, and two, he felt like he had just gotten the greatest nights sleep of his life. As he sat up with a yawn and a stretch, he froze, looking around himself. He was in a cell with two bunks. On the other lay Mara, looking for all the world as though she was just taking a much needed nap. Seeing that she was okay, Luke took stock of their situation. The air was warm and slightly muggy with many unfamiliar smells and sounds. Judging by the feel of his skin and mouth, he, and probably Mara as well, had been asleep for at least one day.

Suddenly, Luke's blue eyes widened, realizing that, for them to be out for a day like that, they would have had to be drugged! Memory came back to him in a wave and he hurried to Mara's side, gently shaking her shoulder and saying, "Mara? Mara, wake up, my love."

Slowly, with a groan, she came to and fixed Luke with a green eyed glare. "You know, they say it's dangerous to wake a pregnant woman, Farmboy. Where are we?"

Luke sighed with relief and kissed her brow before answering, "I'm not sure exactly but I have a few theories. How are you feeling?"

Mara sat up and stretched but then froze herself and looked down, suddenly anxious. "Luke, I can't sense anything. I can't sense you are the baby!"

Luke took her hand and soothed, "It's okay, Mara. I think we're probably on Myrkr because that is where yslamiri come from. How do you feel? Sick? Anything?"

Calming herself, Mara closed her eyes and was quiet for a moment. Finally, she opened her eyes and said rather hesitantly, "I feel perfectly fine. I hope that's a good sine."

Luke nodded and looked around. The room had a door leading out somewhere and, just to cover his bases, Luke tried the control. Of course, nothing happened and Mara chuckled dryly at his attempt. Luke shrugged and said, "Had to try. Oh well."

"Well that was a pointless exercise;" came a dry, feminine voice from outside. Looking through a small window, Luke saw Karrde's bodyguard, Shada D'ukal in a seat across the corridor, one long leg crossed over the other. Luke suddenly felt anger beginning to grow inside him. "You drugged my wife;" he stated, his voice deceptively calm. Shada just looked at him, one eyebrow cocked. "You drugged my _pregnant_ wife."

Shada stood and said, "Yes, I did. Don't worry. It was from a local plant that, for all intents and purposes, just helped her fall asleep. The baby is perfectly fine, I can assure you. We checked before leaving you in there."

Luke felt reassured but continued to glare at her. Down the corridor, another door hissed open and then shut again. Shada looked to her left and frowned. "You're bringing them food?"

A second voice that Luke recognized as Rianna's, said rather irritably, "Yes, I'm bringing them food. It's bad enough that we drugged them for nothing. Mara's pregnant and needs food for herself and the baby."

Luke stepped back as the Twi'lek opened the door and stepped through with quite the spread. She smiled sheepishly and said, "Hey. How're you both feeling?"

Luke was still not happy as she brought the food to a small table and set it down. "Why did you do this to us, Rianna?" he asked, his voice quiet and accusatory. It was clear that she was unhappy about the situation. "I'm sorry, Luke. I had no clue that Karrde was planning this. If I had, I wouldn't have let it happen. Are you and Mara and the baby alright?"

Luke sighed and rubbed his temples. "We think so. Thank you for the food."

Rianna smiled and patted his arm before leaving the cell. Mara was already digging in to the food. She ate slowly, not wanting to upset her sensitive stomach. Luke joined her and they ate in silence. They both constantly tried to reach the other through their bond and were constantly frustrated by the inability to sense each other. Suddenly, Mara sniffed and growled, "This is so frustrating! I can't even sense you!"

Luke nodded and wrapped an arm around her. Mara moved carefully into his lap as tears began to roll down her face. Sniffing again, Mara swatted them away and said, "Damned pregnancy hormones!"

Luke couldn't help but chuckle as he gently stroked her hair. Suddenly, the door opened again and Shada was there, a blaster in her hand. Luke just looked at her. "Is that blaster really necessary?"

"On your feet;" she said, completely ignoring his question. "Karrde wants to talk to you."

Rianna was outside too. Seeing Shada's blaster, she rolled her eyes and said, "Stars above, Shada! Put up your blaster. They aren't going to try anything."

Shada hesitated but then complied, growling as she did, "Don't get any funny ideas, Jedi because I don't need the blaster."

Luke and Mara followed them down the halls. It was clear that they were in a barracks of some kind - with doors evenly spaced throughout the hall. After some moments, they exited the building and found themselves on in a grassy clearing surrounded by thick forests. There were other buildings as well, including what appeared to be another barracks, some store houses, a hanger and a main building. It's through the hanger that they entered. Inside were a total of three Action VI bulk freighters plus several smaller craft and, in a corner, was the _Jade Star_. Luke wanted to ask about Artoo but decided it would be best to leave such questions for Karrde. They came to another door and Shada slapped the control pad. A long hallway stretched before them with a large door at the end. When the door opened before them, Luke and Mara stepped into the most elaborate and old fashioned room they had ever seen, with a translucent ceiling, wooden walls and rafters and works of art and artifacts spread all around. Furniture was spread around in small circles, giving the room an informal, almost lounge feeling. However, these were all noticed second to the massive tree that was growing out of the center of the room. It was at least a meter in diameter at the base with thick limbs growing from the trunk.

"Ah, Jedi Skywalker and Jedi Jade Skywalker - please come and join me."

They looked down at the base of the tree where Talon Karrde sat on a comfortable looking chair. Pacing before him were two quadrupedal creatures that Luke found very familiar. Luke and Mara approached him wearily and sat in the seats that Karrde indicated. From a tray on a small fold out table, he took a kettle and poured hot water into cups with hot chocolate mix in it. When the concoction was properly mixed, he graciously handed them each a cup. "I apologize for the unhappy necessity of drugging you. I assure you, I had Shada use the most gentle and natural drug we had so as not to risk the baby."

Mara glared at him for a long moment before growling, "I suppose I should at least be thankful for that, shouldn't I?"

Suddenly, the two quadrepeds began to growl viciously, eyeing Luke and Mara threateningly. Karrde frowned and said reproachfully, "Sturm, Drang, these people are our guests."

The creatures ignored him and Mara said, "They don't seem convinced."

"Perhaps not;" and he turned towards one of the exits of the room. "Chin, come and get thim, will you?"

A middle aged man with a Frof-fli haircut came in and grabbed the creatures by their collars, murmuring to them as he did. When they were gone, Karrde turned his attention back to Luke and Mara. "My apologies; they are normally much better behaved. Please, drink. I'm sure you'll find a hot drink refreshing after being asleep for so long. We had to administer several doses while you were under to keep you that way, I'm afraid. I trust that Shada or Rianna fed you."

Mara sipped her drink, remaining silent as she studied Karrde while Luke replied, "Yes, Rianna fed us. Thank you for that, by the way. Now, would you mind telling me what happened to my droid and what is going on with my wife's ship?"

Karrde smiled and said, "Your astromech droid is in one of our storage units. Your ship will be tended to by our best."

Mara glared and said, "It had better be. I spent a lot of time and money on that ship and it had better not a single scratch or scuff on it when I get it back."

Karrde chuckled and said, "I understand your feelings. Now we must decide what we are going to do with the two of you. Shada believes we should simply turn you over to the Empire in order to keep them off our backs. Rianna believes that we should let you return to the New Republic. I am not sure which I am inclined to do."

He gazed at them and waited. Luke chuckled and said, "Well I'm sure it's no surprise to you that I suggest the latter. We can compensate you of course - double whatever the Empire is offering, plus that toeing fee and the cost for the repairs."

"You are very generous with other people's money, aren't you?"

Mara put her empty cup on the table and said, "Who said anything about someone elses money?"

Karrde's eyes widened and he smiled again, "Ah yes, I forgot - Darth Vader left you quite a sum of money and a castle on Coruscant. Unfortunately, this is not about money but about politics. My business takes me deep into both Republic and Imperial space and, as you can imagine, the Empire would be very displeased if we turned you over to the New Republic."

"And vice versa. If you turn us over to the Empire, the New Republic would be displeased and let's do a gun count - and a Jedi count;" said Mara rather pointedly. Karrde nodded, considering. "Of course there is also the fact that the Empire is allied with one Darth Diabolis."

Both Luke and Mara stiffened and Karrde gave a slightly amused smile. "You weren't aware of that?"

"We had our suspicions;" replied Luke, "but we thought it much more likely that they had found another of the Emperor's Dark Jedi. Apparently he had quite the cadre of them."

Karrde nodded and said, "I see. Well, now you understand even better my situation then. Why is it that the Empire and Darth Diabolis's Consortium want you so badly anyway?"

Mara snorted and was about to reply when she suddenly stopped, a frown crossing her face. In the most calm, non-urgent tone, she asked, "I don't suppose I'd be allowed to use the refresher, would I?"

Rianna didn't wait for Karrde. "Right this way, Jedi."

When they were gone, Karrde cocked a dark brow. "Morning sickness?"

Luke smiled ruefully. "How'd you guess? As far as why they would want us so badly, I would assume all of that is obvious: I destroyed the first Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, or so they say, and have been a thorn in the Empire's side in general since the Battle of Yavin. Mara is a traitor to the Empire, one of its best agents and betrayed them just in time to help destroy the second Death Star and eliminate Vader and the Emperor. Not only that, we have been systematically eliminating Diabolis's hold on the galaxy since Endor and I killed his apprentice on Ambria."

Karrde nodded his head, stroking his goatee before saying, "That makes sense but why the sudden focus on catching the two of you now?"

Luke shrugged, unwilling to mention the fact that Leia was being targeted as well - as were the rest of the Jedi Order if he wasn't mistaken. "That, I have no answer for, I'm afraid. Perhaps since they joined forces, Diabolis decided to push his agenda just a little more firmly with the extra help."

"Perhaps;" Karrde replied. After a lengthy pause, Luke cleared his throat and said, "You know, you could just ask the Empire why."

"Thank you but no. I just as soon not have them wonder at my sudden interest, particularly after we pleaded prior commitments when the request came in for us to help hunt you down."

Luke straightened slightly. "Wait, you weren't hunting us initially?"

Karrde's lip twisted a little and he replied, "No, we were not. One of those little ironies that make life so very interesting I suppose. We were only just returning home from a cargo pick up. Unfortunately it put me right in the situation that I was desperately hoping to avoid."

Luke nodded and said, "Well then let us go and pretend none of this happened. I give you my word that we won't tell anyone know your location or that you were involved."

Karrde shook his head. "The Empire would find out anyway. Their new commander is extremely good at piecing bits of information together. No, I'm afraid that the best thing we can do for the both of you now is to give the Empire what they want and still set you free. That leads us back to the original question."

Rianna and Mara came back, the latter looking a little pale and tired. Luke looked concerned and Karrde said, "Rianna, Shada, take Madam Jade Skywalker to the infirmary and run a scan on her."

Luke stood but Mara said, "No, stay here and work with Karrde. I'll be fine. I think it was just morning sickness or that I ate too much or too quickly."

Luke looked unsure but sat down again. Looking back at Karrde, Luke tried to soften the hard look on his face but was only slightly successful. Karrde had the good grace to look apologetic but they both remained silent for some time. Finally, Luke said quietly, "My only guess is that the Empire wants us removed and Diabolis wants revenge. They came after my sister as well. Karrde, they just want us dead. There is no way to give them what they want without giving us to them."

Karrde studied Luke carefully, stroking his mustache. "Perhaps a compromise then, Skywalker..."

Losing his patience, Luke stood and sweeped his hand and growled, "There is no compromise. There is no way to keep both the New Republic and the Empire happy. There is no easy out. It is either our lives and the lives of the Jedi or having the Empire come after you."

They gazed at each other coolly. Finally, Luke said, "My wife is over three months pregnant with our child and I don't know how that drug or the extended sleep is affecting them. I want to make sure they are both okay and you need to ask yourself this: when we let you go despite Borsk Fey'lya's and Admiral Ackbar's orders, did we at least prove our friendship to you? Now, take me to my wife."

Karrde stood and motioned. "Right this way, Jedi Skywalker."

They were both very silent as they made their way to the med center. There was a young woman finishing a med scan on her. In her hands, Mara held a cup she was drinking from. Luke smiled at her and said, "Hey you. How are you feeling?"

Mara sighed and sipped from her drink before saying, "Oh, a little better; so far, so good."

Luke took her hand and held it. Karrde looked troubled and said, "Shada, Rianna, let's leave them alone for a few moments. We need to discuss a few things."

Luke and Mara sat silently and eventually, the medic left as well after murmuring that everything was fine and that it was likely just morning sickness and eating too fast. Mara moved over and patted the bed. Luke sighed and carefully lowered himself onto it so that she could snuggle up to him. "Any luck with Karrde, Beloved?"

Luke just shook his head. "I don't know. I hope I got through to him but I doubt it. You know Karrde, trying to work every kriffing angle."

Mara chuckled tiredly and said, "Well I'm sure that we'll figure things out. We always do. I'm sure we'll get to Karrde soon enough, too. In the mean time, I'm tired. You think you can continue the conversation without me."

Luke smiled and kissed her before standing up. Right outside the door were Karrde and his associates. "My wife wants to get some rest. She's warn out from everything."

Rianna smiled sympathetically. "I'm going to take her to one of the larger barracks rooms - one with its own 'fresher. When you and Karrde are done, I'll take you to her."

The orange skinned Twi'lek helped Mara up and asked if she wanted a hover chair. "No, I can walk. Thank you, Rianna;" murmured Mara. The Twi'lek led her in a different direction from the room that they had come from and to one that looked like it was set up for an important guest. It had its own 'fresher and a separate room where the bed and a bedside cabinet and foot locker were. When they got there, Rianna asked, "I'm sure that at some point, you'll want to get changed. Do you have anything aboard your ship that you may need or want?"

Mara nodded. "Yeah; I'll send Luke to pick a few things up when he gets back. Thank you for this."

Rianna smiled and waved it away. "Anything for a friend; I'm going to try and convince Karrde to let the two of you go. I don't know what good it will do but I can certainly try."

Mara nodded as she tiredly sat down on the couch and stretched her legs out. After a moment, she looked at Rianna and said, "So... you and Luke, huh? When did that happen?"

Rianna laughed and said, "It was a long time ago, Madam Jade Skywalker - a very long time ago."

"Mara please, and it's not like I'm going anywhere."

Rianna chuckled and pulled a chair up, sitting down and crossing her legs. After a short silence, she said, "Well I met your husband during a celebration after one of his many successful missions with the Rogues. He had just come out of a relationship and we got to talking. Well one thing led to another and we started a relationship. It wasn't easy though. He was off doing Rogue Squadron missions and I was with Col Serra's Renegade Squadron. We'd go days and even weeks without seeing each other which, of course, meant that when we did, it was that much better. Hell, I'm sure you know what that's like. Well as our relationship continued, I decided that we should end it because we would both miss out on so many things. For one thing, Humans and Twi'leks are not reproductively compatible. He took it well and we were still friends. I have to say though that I missed him very much. Luke is..."

Rianna shook her head, unable to find adequate words. Mara understood completely and couldn't help but smirk. "Hell of a lover, wasn't he?"

Rianna's eyes became a little dreamy. "Oh yeah! Missed that too but hey, I made my choice. And now look at what's happened! Flyboy's married with a little one on the way! There must be some stories behind that."

Mara chuckled and said, "That is a very long and not entirely happy story."

Rianna chuckled and said, "Hey I told you mine. Besides, I can't exactly just leave you."

The red-head sighed and said, "Well it started just before Endor. My former master Palpatine had ordered me to kill him but, because of some things that were made clear to me about the Emperor, I defected and went to the Alliance Fleet at Sullust. Together, we managed to get ourselves captured during Endor and Luke took on Vader and the Emperor. I helped out a little, I suppose but it was mostly Luke. Anyhow, I transferred from Special Forces to Alliance Intelligence and we didn't get a lot of time together, kinda like you said. After quite a few missions, some very harrowing situations and a terrible, terrible tragedy, not to mention some competition from a Hapan Prince, Luke finally decides to propose and, being the sensible young woman I am, I say yes."

Rianna was laughing as she listened. Mara smiled at all the memories of Dathomir, their wedding and honeymoon. Observing her, Rianna smiled and said wistfully, "Well I'm glad to hear that Luke is happy with you and vice versa. He is remarkable and you must be a remarkable woman to make it work with him considering."

Mara chuckled and said, "Not to boast but yes. We're both so different and yet alike - the perfect combination. Kind of like Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo."

Rianna laughed again. "I'll bet. Solo was the heart throb of the female members of Renegade Squadron. They didn't understand why I was so attracted to a goody-goody farm boy from a tenth rate desert planet."

Mara laughed too. She was really beginning to like this spunky orange-skinned Twi'lek. The door suddenly hissed open and Luke came in, frowning slightly as they both smiled at him. "I have a bad feeling about this;" he murmured, eliciting a laugh from the two females. Rianna stood and said, "Don't worry about it, Flyboy. Any luck with Karrde?"

Luke sighed and shook his head. Rianna frowned and said, "Well I'll see what I can do on my end. In the mean time, I can take you to your ship and you can pick up anything you need. Are there weapons on board that I should know about?"

Luke considered not answering her but decided, "Yeah, there are but not where I'd get our stuff from."

Rianna nodded and said, "Alright, let's go."

 **Updated 12.06.2017**


	11. Chapter 11: A Way In

**Aboard the** _ **Lady Luck**_

"No, I assure you, everything is fine," said Threepio, his voice changed out for that of Leia's as he spoke to Winter. The droid somehow managed to look chagrined even with his expressionless face plate. "Han and I decided that as long as we were out this way, we might as well take a look around the Abregado System."

"I understand, your Highness," said Winter. She sounded tired and also quite tense. "I do recommend that you don't stay away too much longer.

Han dictated in a low voice behind Threepio, "We'll be back soon. I just want to check out the Gado's manufacturing infrastructure."

"Yes, your Highness," replied Winter. "I'll pass that information on to the council. I'm sure they'll be pleased to hear it. I wonder if I might be permitted to speak to Captain Solo for a moment."

Lando and Han shared a grimace and the golden droid almost sounded relieved when he said, "Of course."

Han took the headset and said, "I'm here, Winter. What's up?"

"I wanted to know if you had any idea yet when you and the Princess would be returning. Admiral Ackbar in particular has been asking about you both."

Han frowned. Ackbar hadn't spoken two words to him about official business since he had resigned his general's commission awhile back. Even so, Han replied, "You'll have to thank the Admiral for his interest. I trust he's doing alright himself?"

Winter shrugged. "About as usual. Her's been having some problems with his family, though, now that school is in full swing."

"A little squabbling among the kids?" asked Han, trying to understand what the conversation was about and thinking that he understood at least in part. Winter nodded, "Bedtime arguments, mainly; problems with the little one over who's going to get to stay up and read-that sort of thing. You understand."

"Yeah;" said Han, understanding only a little. "I know the kids pretty well. How about the neighbors? He still having trouble with them?"

Winter paused, frowning slightly, "I'm... not exactly sure. He hasn't mentioned anything about them to me. I can ask if you'd like."

Han waved it away. "It's no big deal as long as the family's doing okay. That's the important thing."

"I agree. At any rate, I think he mainly just wanted to be remembered to you."

Han nodded. "Thanks for passing the message. Go ahead and tell him that we won't be out here much longer. We'll go to Abrego and maybe look in on a couple of others and then head back."

"All right," Winter said, "Anything else?"

"No-yes," Han corrected himself. "What's the latest on the Bpfasshi recovery program?"

"Those three systems the Imperials hit? Let me call up the file."

There was a pause before she said, "It seems to be coming along reasonably well. There were some problems with supply shipments, but the material seems to be moving well enough now."

Han snorted. "What did Ackbar do, dig up some old container ships out of the Mothball fleet?"

"Actually, he made his own by taking some capital ships, brought the crews down to skeleton capacity, adding some loading/hauling units, stripped them down and turned them into cargo ships."

Han grimaced. "Well I hope he puts some good escort ships with them. Empty cruisers would make great target practice or loot for the Imperials."

Winter favored him with a small smile. "I'm sure that he's thought of that and, of course, and the orbital dock and shipyards at Sluis Van are very well defended."

"I'm not sure anything's really well defended these days;" muttered Han sourly. "Not with the Imperials running loose like they are. Anyhow, got to go. Talk to you later."

"Enjoy your trip. Goodbye, your Highness."

The comms cut off and Lando said, "If all those star cruisers and frigates had been built with proper slave circuits, they wouldn't have to make container ships out of them."

"Right," said Han, not even bothering to acknowledge his comment. "Come on. We need to cut this short and get back. Something's going on Coruscant."

"You mean all that stuff about Ackbar and his family?"

Han nodded. "Yes. If I'm reading Winter right, it sounds like Fey'lya has started a major push toward Ackbar's territory. Come on, Threepio-you need to lock up behind us."

They both toned out Threepios continued protests against impersonating Princess Leia. Finally, Han growled, "Alright, alright - I'll have Lando undo the programming. I only told Winter that stuff for the benefit of anyone tapping into the comms. As soon as we worked through this contact, we're heading back. Maybe we'll stop by Kasyyyk on the way back to pick up Leia."

They were silent for a bit before Lando chuckled and said, "You know, you and Winter should have worked out a better verbal code. What the hell was that all about with Ackbar's family?"

Han grimaced, "We should have worked out a code at all. I've been meaning to for three years but we never really got around to it."

"Well what do you think it all means?"

Han scratched his chin and said, "It could be a couple things - something intelligence is working on or maybe it's Fey'lya muscling in on Ackbar's turf."

Lando sighed, "Yeah; I take it that the neighbors referred to the Empire?"

Han nodded. "Yup. Winter would have known if Ackbar was making progress at plugging the information leaks to them. It might be a risk but if Leia isn't there to play peacemaker between them, Fey'lya will be able to beg or bully the rest of the council into giving him what he wants. Here's to hoping this is the last contact in the line."

* * *

 **Abregado-rae** **Space Port**

Han and Lando out of the hanger, pleasantly surprised to find that the cityscape that had once had a terrible reputation among even smugglers and other space travelers was now clean and borderline painfully neat. "Well, well;" murmured Lando, "has civilization finally come to Abregado?"

Han chuckled and said, "Stranger things have happened, Buddy."

Despite it's seemingly well-kept appearance of the space port and city, the air had a not entirely tame atmosphere to it.

Suddenly, Lando murmured "Uh-oh, look like someone's just bought the heavy end of the hammer."

Han turned towards where Lando was looking and saw that fifty meters down the street, a small group of uniformed officers with light armored vests and blaster rifles were gathered at the entrance at a hanger bay entrance. Half of them went into the hanger and the rest of them waited at the entrance, remaining highly vigilant. "That's the hammer alright;" murmured Han.

Over the hanger door was the number sixty-three and Han murmured, "Let's hope that's not our contact in there. Where are we supposed to meet him anyway?"

Lando pointed to a small, windowless building and said, "Over there. We're supposed to take one of the tables near the bar and the casino area and wait. He'll contact us there."

The establishment was known as the LoBue and there was an area for just sitting in conversation, a dance floor and a casino area. Han and Lando headed towards the bar up a flight of steps. "Ever been here before?" asked Han quietly. Lando shook his head. "Not this place, no. Last time I was on Abregado-rae was years ago and it was worse than Mos Eisley, and I didn't stay long. Whatever problems you might have with the new government here, you have to admit they've done a good job of cleaning the planet up."

Han shrugged and said, "Yeah, well whatever problems you have with the new government, let's keep them quiet okay? Just for once, I'd like to keep a low profile."

That caused Lando to chuckle. The lighting in the bar area was lower than in the main casino area but it wasn't so low that the visibility was bad. They chose a chair by the gaming tables and ordered drinks from the holo-server before surveying the crowd. As they waited, Han glanced around and murmured, "While we wait, do a casual one eighty towards the third sabaac table back-five men and a woman. Tell me if the guy second from the right is who I think it is."

Lando casually looked around and his eyes widened slightly as he saw the indicated person. "Not Fynn Torve?"

Han nodded and said, "Sure looks like him, though I figured you'd have seen him more recently than I have."

"Not since the last Kessel run you and I did together;" said Lando before giving Han a look. "Just before the _other_ big sabacc game;"

Han gave one of his trademark injured looks and said, "You're not still sore about the _Falcon_ , are you?"

"Now? No, probably not. No sorer than I was at losing to an amateur like you in the first place."

"Amateur?" exclaimed Han. "But I'll admit there were times right afterward when I lay awake at night plotting elaborate revenge. Good thing I never got around to doing any of it."

Han nodded and they were silent for a moment before Han said, "If it makes you feel any better, if you hadn't lost the _Falcon_ to me, we probably wouldn't be sitting here right now. The Empire's first Death Star would have taken out Yavin and then picked the Alliance apart planet by planet and that would have been the end of it."

Lando shrugged. "Maybe; maybe not. With people like Ackbar and Leia running things-"

"Leia would have been dead," said Han, cutting him off. "She was already slated for execution when Luke, Chewie and I pulled her out of the Death Star."

A shiver ran through him at the memory. He'd been that close to losing her forever and would never even had known what he'd missed and now that he did know, he might still lose her. That put Han in a gloomy mood. He looked around the room again, wondering why the hell Torve was taking his time? Continuing his sweep, Han saw three figures sitting in a shadowy corner. They weren't in uniforms but anyone who had been in spaceports across the galaxy easily recognized security personnel. "Uh-oh;" he murmured quietly and pointed Lando towards the three men. "Offhand, I'd say that explains why Torve's still hiding at the sabacc table."

"And doing his best to ignore us," murmured Lando. They gauged the security officers. Han could try to pull his New Republic ID but it wouldn't be worth Fey'lya's polite, simpering screaming act. Suddenly, Han had an idea. Tapping the summoning button, he said, "Attendant?'

"Yes, Gentles?" came the holographic attendant's reply. "Give me twenty sabacc chips, will you?"

Lando glanced at him. "Wait a minute; you're not going over there, are you?"

"You got a better idea?" asked Han as he adjusted his blaster in its holster and the small hold out blaster in its sleeve - a gift from Mara. "If he's our contact, I don't want to lose him now."

Lando sighed in resignation. "So much for keeping a low profile. What do you want me to do?"

Han gave a mirthless chuckle. "Be ready to run interference. So far, it looks like they're just watching him so maybe we can get him out of here before their pals arrive force."

He stood and approached the table, selecting a seat not quite across from Torve, dropping his chips on the table with a metallic clank. "Deal me in."

The others looked at him, their facial expressions running from surprised to annoyed. Torve did a casual double take and Han cocked an eyebrow. "You the dealer, Sonny? Come on, deal me in."

Torve looked at the dealer and said, "Uh-no, it's not my deal."

The dealer, a pudgy man, groused, "And we've already started; wait until the next game."

"What, you all haven't even bet yet;" said Han, gesturing toward the handful of chips in the hand pot. The sabacc pot, by contrast, was pretty rich-the session must have been going for a couple of hours at least - which was the reason for the dealer not wanting Han to swoop in and win the pot after contributing next to nothing to it. Han motioned to the dealer. "Come on, give me my cards."

Slowly, and still glowering at him, the dealer handed Han his cards. "That's more like it;" he said. "Brings back memories, this does. I used to drop the heavy end of the hammer on the guys back home all the time."

Torve gave him a curious look. "Did you now? Well you're playing the big boys here, not the little people. You may find the sort of rewards you're used to."

Han smirked his trademark smirk. "I'm not exactly an amateur myself. I've won-oh probably sixty-three games in the last month alone."

A flicker of recognition crossed Torve's face before disappearing, confirming Han's suspicion that hanger sixty-three was Torve's hanger. "There are a lot of rewards in a number like that;" Han said casually. Torve glanced quickly around the room, his eyes lingering on the table where Lando sat for just a moment before looking back at Han. "You willing to put your money where your mouth is?"

Han met his gaze evenly. "I'll meet anything you've got."

Torve nodded slowly, "I may just take you up on it."

"This is all very interesting, I'm sure," one of the other player spoke up. "Some of us would like to play cards, though."

Torve lifted an eyebrow and said, "The bet's at four."

"Sure," said Han, examining his cards and placing six chips from his stack and dropping them into the hand pot. "I'll see the four and raise you two."

There was a noticeable rustle of air behind him and- "Cheater!" a deep voiced bellowed in his ear. Han jumped and spun around, reaching reflexively toward his blaster, but even as he did so, a large hand hand shot over his shoulder to snatch the two cards from his other hand. "You are a cheater, sir," the voice bellowed again. "I don't know what you're talking about," Han said, craning his neck up to get a look at his assailant. The man towered over him with a bushy beard and had the fires of religious fervor in his eyes. "You know full well what I'm talking about. This card is a skifter."

Han just blinked and spluttered, "It is not."

A crowd was rapidly gathering around the table: casino security and other employees, curious onlookers, and probably a few who were hoping to see a little blood. "It's the same card I was dealt."

"Oh is it?" The man cupped the card in one massive hand and touched the corner of a card with the tip of his finger. The Mistress of Staves abruptly turned into the six of sabers. He tapped it again and it became the moderation card - then the moderation face card. Then the eight of Flasks. Then the idiot face card. And then the Commander of Coins. Han growled again, "That's the card I was dealt."

He was beginning to sweat and thought to himself so much indeed for keeping a low profile. "If it's a skifter, it's not my fault."

A short man with a hard-bitten face elbowed past the bearded man. "Keep your hands on the table," he snapped at Han before turning to the bearded man. "Move aside, Reverend. I can take it from here."

 _Reverend?_ Han looked up at the glowering man and noticed the black crystal-embedded band nestled against his chest. "Reverend, huh?" he said with a sinking feeling. There were extreme religious groups all over the galaxy, he'd found, whose main passion in life seemed to be the elimination of all forms of gambling and all forms of gamblers. The security officer snapped, "I said hands on the table."

He reached over to pluck the card from the Reverend's hand. After studying it, he glared at Han. "Cute skifter, con."

"He must have palmed the card he was dealt. Where is it, cheater?" demanded the Reverend. "The card I was dealt is right there in you friend's hand;" Han snapped. "I don't need a skifter to to win at sabacc. If I had one, it's because it was dealt to me."

"Oh, really?" and the Reverend whirled on the pudgy dealer without a warning, who was still sitting at the table but almost lost in the hovering crowd. "You're cards, sir, if you don't mind."

The other's jaw dropped. "What are you talking about? Why would I give someone else a skifter? Anyway, it's a house deck- see?"

"Well there's one way to be sure, isn't there?" said the Reverend, reaching over to scoop up the deck. "And then you - and you," he leveled a finger at the dealer and at Han, "can be scanned to see who's hiding the extra card. I dare say that would settle the issure, wouldn't you, Kampl?"

The security office scowled at the Reverend. "Don't tell us how to do our job, Reverend. Cyru, get the scanner over here, will you?"

They scanned Han first, of course finding nothing. They did it again for good measure. "There's nothing, Sir. He has two blasters, a comlink and an ID but that's it."

They scanned a very protesting dealer and once again, found nothing. They scanned the floor and some of the officers began to look carefully around. The Reverend and security officer began to argue when the dealer yelled, "Hey, the guy who was sitting next to me - where'd he go?"

Han was tired of this. "I wasn't cheating. If you want to make a formal accusation, take me down to the station. If not, let me take my chips and I'm leaving."

He waited to see if the security man Kampl would call his bluff. To his surprise, he didn't. "Get out and don't come back."

* * *

"That was quick;" said Lando from the ramp of the _Falcon_. "I really wasn't expecting to see you for another hour or so."

"They had no case. I hope Torve didn't give you the slip"

Lando chuckled. "Nope. He's waiting in the lounge and apparently considers himself in your debt."

Han raised his eyebrows as he went in. "That could be useful;" as he headed back to the lounge. Torve was there studying several different datapads spread in front of him. "Good to see you again, Torve."

"You too, Solo. I've thanked Calrissian already, but I wanted to thank you, too. Both for the warning and for helping me get out of there. I'm in your debt."

Han smiled. "No problem. I take it that is your ship in pit sixty-three?"

"My employer's ship, yes;" said Torve with a slight grimace. Han nodded slowly, "Your employer being Talon Karrde, right?"

Torve grimaced and Han continued, "I want to make Karrde an offer on the behalf of the New Republic."

"Yeah, I heard you were going around to the chiefs making offers. Most of them think you're setting us up for Ackbar to take us down."

Han shook his head firmly. "I'm not. Ackbar isn't particularly thrilled at the idea, but he's accepted it. He realizes the need, especially after X1 and his little Clone War. We need to get more shipping capacity somewhere and smugglers are the logical supply to tap."

Torve pursed his lips and said, "It sounds interesting but I don't make the decisions."

Lando put in, "So take us to Karrde and let Han talk to him directly."

"Sorry but Karrde is at the main base and I can't take you there."

"Why night?"

Torve sighed, "Because we don't let strangers just flit in and out. We don't have anything like the massive, overbearing security that Jabba had on Tatooine for one thing."

"Hey," said Han with an heir of injury, "I'm not a stranger. I've worked with Karrde before - so have Luke Skywalker, my brother-in-law, and Mara Jade Skywalker, his wife."

Torve looked hesitant and Han pressed forward, "Besides, how do you plan on getting back to him?"

Torve opened his mouth but closed it again before saying, "I guess I'll have to figure out a way to get my ship out of impoundment, won't I?"

Han moved in for the kill. "I could set up something to get it out of impound considering my official connections and credentials."

"I'm sure;" said Torve ryly, "and the catch is..."

"No catch. Just let us give you a lift back to your base so I can have a fifteen minute talk with Karrde."

Torve sighed and Han and Lando could tell that he was going to give. "I'm going to get into trouble for this. You know that."

Han slapped him on the shoulder and flashed his trademark grin. "Oh come on, we aren't exactly strangers, Torve and we can keep a secret. We were both generals after all and had pretty high clearences."

Torve shook his head and sighed in resignation. "I'm gonna get in trouble for this but I guess I do owe you. Here are my terms: I navigate and set it all up in a erasable module. On way the out will be up to Karrde."

"Sounds good. When do we leave?" asked Han. Torve shrugged, "Whenever your ready. Unless you want to go back and play those;" and he indicated the chips. Han grimaced and said, "I don't play sabacc with fanatics breathing down my neck."

"Yes;" said Torve with a chuckle, "the Reverend put on a good show, didn't he?"

Lando and Han started. "What?"

Torve's grin only grew. "Oh yeah. We would have been in trouble without him."

Lando and Han just looked at each other, "Why that rotten-" and Han shook his head. "I bet that was his skifter."

Torve chortled. "Probably."

 **Updated 12.06.2017**


	12. Chapter 12: Unexpected Pleasures

Shada and Rianna arrived outside Karrde's office at the same time and shared a troubled glance before the latter knocked. "Come in, please;" came the reply. Inside, Karrde was brooding on something. "Close the door behind you;" he murmured and Shada asked, "Trouble?"

Karrde gave a reassuring, if tight, smile, replying as he did, "A minor problem; a bit of an awkward one, though. Fynn Torve just commed to say he was on his way in... and he has guests - former New Republic generals Lando Calrissian and Han Solo."

The women's eyes widened and shot looks at each other. Rianna felt a small thrill at the thought of seeing a couple old friends again but Shada was frowning. "What do they want?" asked the bodyguard, crossing her arms over her chest. Karrde shrugged fractionally and smiled wryly, "Apparently, Solo just wants to talk to me. He's been trying to get in contact with me for awhile now - at least according to some of the other smuggler chiefs."

Rianna lifted an orange hand and said, "And if you ask me, it's overdue to begin talking with the New Republic again, Talon. When things were going well with the New Republic, our business was fantastic if you'll recall. We had protection and we had free or at least inexpensive maintenance facilities - the only con was that pay directly from the New Republic wasn't as high but that was offset by the pros."

Shada was shaking her head. "Perhaps but the last time we interacted with the New Republic, Ackbar and Fey'lya wanted to put you through the ringer, Karrde. They wanted to interrogate you for all the information you had despite the fact that you had been perfectly cooperative before that, only asking that it be a business relationship and not have them dictate to you the terms. At the end, they wanted to treat you just as badly as the Empire would."

Rianna rolled her eyes and said, "Oh please, Shada; Karrde, did they come in their own ship or with Torve's?"

"The _Millennium Falcon_ is the ship coming in and Torve is riding with them. The _Etherway_ was impounded on Abregado by the local authorities. Apparently Calrissian and Solo helped Torve avoid sharing the fate of the ship."

"Then thank them and send them on there way;" said Shada firmly but Rianna shook her head. "No. Torve owes them and therefore, so do we by extension. It's not going to hurt at all just to hear what Han has to say."

Karrde cocked an eyebrow. "'Han?'"

Shada frowned. "I think you might be letting your feelings of nostalgia getting in the way of your instincts, Rianna."

Rianna scoffed, "Oh come on!" Turning to Karrde, Rianna crossed her arms and said, "Talon, you know that my loyalty is to you even despite my old affiliation to the Rebel Alliance. You are my employer. But you also trust me to tell you what I think according to my principles. This has nothing to do with a friendship with _Han_. I haven't spoken to him in years. I'm telling you this for several reasons. One, you get a huge form of protection. Two, you get steady business even with a smaller payout. Three, you regain an old friendship which will only help us in the future. Think about it, Karrde; the Empire, despite their new commander's apparent success, are still on the decline and pretty soon, unless they pull a miracle out of chaos, the Empire will be a tiny fringe group and the New Republic will be all that's left. All I'm saying is that a twenty minute conversation with _Han_ can only be helpful and not cost us a thing."

"It will cost us this base;" said Shada quietly. Rianna shook her head. "Thrawn already knows that we're here. If it was going to make that big of a deal, we should have probably started packing already - especially since Diabolis is allied with him firmly now."

"That might not be a terrible idea anyway;" murmured Karrde. They were all quiet for the moment before Shada said, "There's another problem, Karrde. What are we going to do about the Skywalkers?"

"We're keeping them here until we figure out exactly why Thrawn and Diabolis is after them. At the very least, we need to know what they're worth and what the pros and cons of our options are. I have feelers out and, with any luck, we should know in a few more days. Meanwhile, the Skywalkers need to be moved a bit more out of the way. Obviously, we can't have Calrissian and Solo stumbling over them. Put them in the number Four Storage Shed."

"Dammit, Karrde! Jade Skywalker is pregnant! Do you really think a shed is going to be good for her condition?" said Rianna in frustration. "Besides, their droid is in that shed."

"It has two rooms and Jade Skywalker isn't going to pop right now. She'll be okay for a couple hours. If it makes you feel better, we'll get her a cot and some food just in case;" assured Karrde. Rianna crossed her arms and said, "Fine."

"Also, lock their weapons in there ship and hide it back in the forest. Everyone who knows about the Skywalkers are being sent to prep the _Starry Ice._ The _Millennium Falcon_ will be here in twenty minutes. Get to work."

They both turned to leave and Shada murmured, "Can you take care of the ship or do you want to take care of the Skywalkers?"

"Let me handle the Skywalkers;" replied Rianna, stroking her one real lekku. "Their ship is just a Sorosuub Luxury Yacht anyway. Just be careful. When this is all settled, assuming we aren't going to turn them in to the Empire, Jade Skywalker will pay hell to anyone who so much as scratches her ship."

Shada gave a dry chuckle and they went their separate ways.

* * *

Rianna opened the door to the guest room that Luke and Mara were in. They were both meditating, facing each other on the floor. Rianna waited politely at the door until Luke's baby blue eyes opened. Stars, they still made her feel dizzy sometimes. "What's the good word, Rianna?" he asked with a smile. Mara's glittering emerald eyes focused on her too and Rianna cleared her throat before sighing and saying, "I have to take you to different, temporary quarters. We have company coming and Talon wants you out of sight and out of mind."

On the way to their new accommodate, Rianna grabbed a cot and some of the higher quality field rations for them. "I'm really sorry about this;" she said earnestly. "Karrde has a thick skull and is still weighing all his options.

Luke took her hand and said, "I know that you're doing all that you can and I'm sure it will work out in the end."

"I wish I had your confidence;" muttered Rianna before she took her leave. Luke sighed and set the cot up for Mara. Turning to her, he saw her checking crates and looking at every corner of the room. Frowning, Luke asked, "Mara, what are you doing?"

She looked at him curiously. "Looking for tools and ways to escape if the need arises. Why aren't you? We could try the door but I'll be that it locks from the outside and doesn't even have an activation mechanism from the inside. If I could access the panel from this side, I'm sure that I could get into it. Don't worry;" she said to his disapproving look. "I'm not planning on putting a plan in motion immediately, it's just better to be prepared."

Luke chuckled and plopped down on the cot. "Practical as ever but don't strain yourself. If you want, come here and sit down and let me take a look."

Mara gave him a barely patient look and said, "Beloved, I'm not going give birth right now. I still have time and I'm being careful. Stop being such a worry wart."

Luke burst into laughter at her phrasing and shook his head. "Alright. Well, I'll help you out, regardless."

They spent some time, how long they weren't sure, examining the entirety of the room. It all seemed futile until Mara gave an exclamation when she found a multi-socket power outlet behind the boxes that Luke was moving around to examine the walls. "If I can get this cover plate off, I might be able to find a way to open that door."

Luke nodded and began to look around when they both heard a low whistling. Mara froze and looked over at Luke before calling out quietly, "Artoo, is that you?"

There was silence for a couple heartbeats before an explosion of noises erupted from the other wall. Mara had a huge smile on her face as she said, "Alright, take it easy, Artoo. I'm working on getting a cover plate off this power socket here. Hey, by chance is there one on your side that you can open?"

The sound that came from the other room were decidedly negative. Mara crawled out from the space and began to look through their clothing. On one of her jump suits was a large zipper. Sighing, she said, "Any chance you can rip this off? Your hands are a little stronger than mine."

Luke gave a smirk and lifted an eyebrow and Mara blushed, "Get your head out of the trash compactor, Skywalker. We have work to do."

Luke chuckled, came over and grabbed the zipper, twisting and pulling at it until it snapped off. Before Mara had the chance to climb back there, Luke put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Let me do it, Mara. Go have a seat and I'll take care of this."

Mara was about to protest but Luke had already pushed past her and climbed back there. It certainly wasn't the easiest thing to work with but it did its job. After much longer than it would take with an actual tool for that purpose, the plate came off and Luke peered through. Through a mouthful of something or another, Mara asked him, "What are we looking at, Farmboy?"

"Not much, I'm afraid; I don't think I can get Artoo's side off from here. Hey Artoo, is your room locked?"

There was a negative squeak followed by an odd whining, grinding noise, sounding like the droid was spinning his wheels. "That's a restraint collar," called Mara.

Luke sighed. A bolt would leave a mark on the droids trunk but the collar would do nothing except let Artoo wear out his wheels. "Hold tight, Artoo. I'm going to see if there's a way to jimmy the door to open from here. If not, we'll have to find a way to open the door's cover plate and jimmy if from there."

Doing that would be immensely more difficult since there weren't any screws to it and the seem was very small - too small for Mara's broken zipper even if the zipper was strong enough to leaver it outwards. "This is going to take awhile;" he muttered. Mara's voice came from the other side of the boxes. "Well come and get something to eat before you really set to it, Luke. Leaving me alone with these rations is a sure fire way to miss a meal."

Luke chuckled and crawled out.

* * *

Luke and Mara looked in frustration at the cover plate of the door control. Jimmying the door to open didn't work from the outlet since the power seemed to have been cut from the shed so now they were contemplating a way to do it from the door control. "Well my broken zipper sure won't help that;" said Mara dryly. Luke sighed and leaned against the wall, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "I don't suppose you can make a mild explosive out of a zipper and some coveralls?"

Mara sat next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm flattered that you think so highly of my skills but unfortunately, even I'm not that good, Farmboy. If I could get even the smallest power source, I could likely rig something."

Luke sighed as she started to brush his right hand for a long moment before murmuring, "Your right hand is still so smooth. How do you keep the synth flesh from getting horrible damaged."

Luke chuckled, "It regenerates much like real skin would, minus scarring and callouses - one of the few perks of having a fake hand."

Suddenly, they both froze and looked at each other. A small power source; Luke sighed and rolled up the sleeve of his shirt. Hitting a tiny switch, he popped open the small maintenance access panel to his artificial hand and showed her. "Will one or both of these work?"

Mara had never actually seen his hand's insides and she had to suppress a shudder. "I might be able to but we don't need to do that, Luke; not until we exhaust all of our other options. Come on. Let's search the rest of these boxes first."

They did just that and found an odd assortment of pins, badges and other various uniform accessories and such. Pushing the crate over, they worked feverishly at the door panel. It took a little doing but they managed to get the panel loose by jamming some of the smaller things into the panel seem and pushing against all of them with the crate's lid. It took several attempts and then it was some finger work to get the panel the rest of the way off. "Dammit! No power;" said Mara, her pregnancy altered emotions beginning to get the better of her despite her best efforts. Luke wrapped her up and said, "Sshhh, it's okay, love. We'll use one of my power sources and open the door that way."

Mara sniffed and muttered. "Kriffing pregnancy hormones;"

* * *

Han, Lando and Torve headed down the ramp and Han was a little surprised at the genuine smile of that crossed his face when he saw Karrde and his two associates. The smile got even larger when he noticed that one of them was Rianna Saren - a Twi'lek female that had been in one of Col Serra's Renegade Squadron strike teams. "How are you doing, Karrde? Rianna, what a surprise! Haven't seen you since Endor!"

Rianna gave him a hug and Han shook Karrde's hand firmly. "It's been a long time, Solo;" said the smuggler chief with a polite smile. "Thank you for helping out my employee. Please, come in and let us enjoy some refreshments. Word on the hyper lanes is that you've been looking for me with an offer and, while I'm cautious, I'm quite curious about it. Come along."

They were led to a conference room with small finger foods on a tray and some decanters of spirits of some kind. After some small talk and Han's fifteen minute presentation, he leaned back and was followed by a short silence. Finally, the smuggler chief murmured, "Interesting;" in a mildly amused voice, his expression non-committal and easily hiding his true thoughts on the issue. "Interesting indeed. I presume the Provisional Council would be willing to record legal guarantees of all this."

"We'll guarantee what we can;" replied Han, "Your protection, legality of operations and so forth; naturally, we can't guarantee any particular profit margins or anything like that."

"Naturally;" replied Karrde, his gaze shifting to Lando. "You've been rather quiet, General Calrissian. How exactly do you fit into all this?"

Lando left off trading glances between Karrde, Shada and Rianna and shrugged, replying, "Just as a friend; someone who knew how to get in touch with you and someone who can vouch for Han's integrity and honesty."

Rianna gave the tiniest of amused smiles. It was mirrored on Karrde's face. "Integrity and honesty; interesting words to use in regard to a man with Captain Solo's somewhat checkered reputation."

Han grimaced, wondering which particular incident Karrde was referring to. There were admittedly a fair number to choose from. "Any checkering that existed is all in the past;" he said with a wave of his hand. Karrde agreed, "Of course; your proposal is, as I said, sounds interesting. But not, I think, for my organization."

Han frowned and tried to remember some of Leia's diplomacy lessons. "May I ask why not, exactly?"

"Very simply, it would look to certain parties as if we were taking sides;" explained Karrde, sipping from the cup. "Given the extent of our operations, and the regions in which those operations take place, that might not be an especially politic thing to do."

Han nodded, not at all surprised. "I understand. I'd like the chance to convince you that there are ways to keep your other clients from knowing about it."

Karrde smiled again. "I think you underestimate the Empire's intelligence capabilities, Captain Solo. They know far more about New Republic movements than you might think."

Han grimaced and muttered, "Tell me about it. That reminds me of something else I wanted to ask you. Lando said you might know a slicer who was good enough to crack diplomatic codes."

Karrde cocked his head to one side, murmuring, "Interesting request - particularly coming from someone who should already have access to such codes. Is intrigue beginning to form among the New Republic hierarchy, perhaps?"

Winter's veiled warnings went through his mind but Han still managed to shake his head, "No, this is purely personal. Mostly personal, anyway."

Karrde chuckled and said, "As it happens, one of the best slicers in the trade will be at dinner this afternoon. You'll join us, of course?"

Han glanced at his chrono in surprise. Between business and small talk, the fifteen minute interview had spread out to two hours. "We don't want to impose on your time-"

"It's no imposition at all," Karrde assured him, setting his cup down and standing. "With the press of business and all, we tend to miss the midday meal entirely and compensate by pushing the evening dinner up to late afternoon."

"I remember those wonderful smuggler schedules;" said Han wryly as memories flashed through his mind. "You're lucky to get even two meals."

"Indeed;" said Karrde and motioned them towards the door. "If you'll follow me..."

* * *

The meal was very pleasant. Han and Lando conversed with Karrde, Shada, Rianna, several of the other lieutenants in Karrde's organization and a young slicer named Ghent. After a particularly riveting story about some Zyggerian slavers, a chime interrupted their talk. "Excuse me please;" said Karrde and Rianna and Shada stood with him, "this should only take a few minutes. Please enjoy your meal."

Aves was manning the sensor and comms station when Karrde, Shada and Rianna came in. Immediately, the problem became apparent. The Imperial Star Destroyer _Chimaera_ and another ship, the Kelbade Battle Cruiser _Emergent_ were in orbit. "They came in from lightspeed about ten minutes ago and Captain Pellaeon signaled two minutes later, asking for you personally."

Karrde stroked his lower lip for a moment before asking, "Any signs of landing craft or fighters?"

"Not yet," said Aves, "but from his insertion angle, I'd guess he'll be dropping some soon - downpoint probably somewhere in this part of the forest."

Karrde nodded thoughtfully. Such propitious timing... for someone. "Where did we wind up putting the _Millennium Falcon_?" he asked. Aves chewed a lip for a moment before recalling, "It's over on pad eight."

Karrde nodded. It was back under the edge of the forest, then - which was good because the high metal content of Myrkr's trees would help shield it from the _Chimaera's_ and _Emergent's_ sensors. "Take two men and throw a camo net over it. There's no point in taking chances. Do it quickly - we don't want to alarm our guests."

"Right;" replied Aves, pulling his headset off and heading out of the room at a brisk trot. Karrde studied the view screen before turning to Rianna and Shada. "Interesting timing, this visit;" he murmured. Rianna nodded and Shada scowled. "This isn't good, Talon. We have two New Republic representatives and two Jedi - the SKYWALKERS no less - in our base and Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Diabolis are here for a visit."

Karrde nodded and said, "Well I should probably talk to them."

Picking up the headset, he said, "Captain Pellaeon, this is Talon Karrde. I apologize for the delay. What can I do for you?"

But it wasn't Captain Pellaeon who appeared but a blue skinned, red eyed face. "Good afternoon, Captain Karrde. I am Grand Admiral Thrawn."

Even with the twists in his stomach, Karrde managed to remain professional and unperturbed. "Good Afternoon, Admiral. This is an unexpected honor. May I ask the purpose of your call?"

"Part of it, I'm sure you've already guessed," Thrawn told him. "We find ourselves in need of more yslamari and would like you permission to harvest some more of them."

"Certainly. If you don't mind me saying, Admiral, you seem to be running through them rather quickly. Are you having trouble keeping them alive?"

One of Thrawn's blue-black eyebrows raised in polite surprise. "None of them has died, Captain. We simply need more of them."

"Ah," Karrde said. "I see."

"I doubt that, but no matter. It occurred to me, Captain, that as long as we were coming here, it might be a good time for us to have a little talk."

"What sort of talk?"

"I'm sure we can find some topics of mutual interest," Thrawn said. "For example, I'm in the market for new warships."

Long practice kept any guilty or suspect reaction from leaking out through Karrde's face or voice. But it was a near thing. "Warships?"

"Yes," said Thrawn with a thing smile, "Don't worry - I'm not expecting you to actually have any capital starships in stock but a man with your contacts may possibly be able to acquire them."

"I doubt that my contacts are quite that extensive, Admiral. I'm afraid I don't think that we can help you."

Suddenly, a second figure appeared. He was chiseled, tall and handsome but his eyes were a startling yellow. Thrawn's expression hadn't changed. "You will try anyway."

Suddenly, the second man spoke. "Then, of course, there's the matter of your refusal to help in our search for Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker."

Karrde's nerves eased slightly. This was much safer territory. "I'm sorry that we were unable to help there, gentlemen. As I explained before to your representative, we were under several tight scheduling deadlines at the time. We simply couldn't spare the ships."

The dark man smirked and Thrawn said, "At the time, you say? But the search is still going on, Captain."

Silently, Karrde cursed himself for the slip. "Still going on?" he asked, frowning, "But your representative said that the Skywalkers were in a SoroSuub luxury yacht. Surely a vessel that size and as upgraded as it most certainly was considering Jade Skywalker's reputation for toying with her ships, would have been rescued, captured by another group or just so lost in space that they're still floating or dead."

Thrawn nodded in understanding, "Ah, I see the misunderstanding. Perhaps you're correct about them being captured by another group - however, none of my or my associate's intelligence sources have seen anything about it from either the fringe, the New Republic or any other group and we do have extensive resources."

Again, the dark man with the yellow eyes spoke, "So there is still plenty of time for you to join in the hunt."

Karrde frowned and said, "Forgive me, sir, but who are you, may I ask?"

"I am Darth Diabolis, Dark Lord of the Sith."

Karrde felt a shiver of fear run up and down his spine. "Ah, my Lord. I must thank you for revoking the bounties on my head. It has made things much easier for my business."

"Think nothing of it, Captain Karrde. I look forward to conversing with you when we arrive on Myrkr."

Karrde froze, a horrible realization shooting through him like an electric shock. They were on their way now. A minuscule look at the auxiliary display showed three Lambda shuttles escorted by six TIE Fighters were heading planet side. "I'm afraid we don't have much to entertain you with; certainly not on such short notice."

"No need for entertainment, Captain;" said Darth Diabolis with a mildly amused look on his face. "As the Grand Admiral said, we are simply here to talk - A brief talk, unless Grand Admiral Thrawn has any objections."

The blue skinned man shook his head. "No, it will be very brief. I know how busy you are."

Karrde managed a smile and replied, "I appreciate your consideration, gentlemen. If you will excuse me Admiral, my Lord, I need to begin the preparations to receive you."

They both gave chilling smiles and Thrawn said, "I look forward our meeting."

As soon as they vanished, Shada and Rianna were on the comms, making preparations. Rianna focused on making a proper reception while Shada to have the _Millennium Falcon_ moved further back under cover. That done, she turned back to Karrde. "What about Solo and Calrissian?"

"We'll have to get them out. Move them back to the forest at or near their ship. Hmm... I'd better deal with that myself."

"Why not just turn them over to the Empire?" she asked bluntly. Rianna growled, "Because we will gain nothing from it. What's more, they're our guests and you know that isn't how we treat our guests, Shada."

"And the Skywalkers?" countered Shada, crossing her arms over her chest. "This is not the time for that?" said Karrde, just a hint of impatience in his voice. "We have yet more and far less amiable guests on the way."

As they stepped out, Shada murmured to Karrde out of the side of her mouth, "What was all that business about capital ships?"

"You heard everything that was said;" replied Karrde. Shada gave him an impatient look. "I know. I was talking about your reaction."

Karrde grimaced as they turned down a hallway. "I'd hoped it wasn't that obvious."

Shada gave a small, fond smile and brushed his hand slightly with hers. "It wasn't but I know you better than the Imperials - even better than Rianna. Now what about those capital warships put you off?"

Karrde returned her smile and brushed her hand back. "Ask me again later, Shada. Right now, we have work to do."

Shada accepted that and turned off to the side to complete her tasks. Karrde turned towards the dining room to inform his quests of current events. After that, he would need to prepare himself for a face-to-face confrontation with the two most dangerous beings in the galaxy - with the Skywalkers and Capital warships as the two topics of conversation. It was going to be a very stressful afternoon.

* * *

"Okay, beloved, we're ready;" said Mara. Luke nodded, still trying to ignore the discomfort of his hand being numb and tingly. Carefully, he touched the wires together. Without a protest, the door slid open and they both sighed with relief. While Luke held the contact point together, Mara peaked out. "All clear. I'll get Artoo and he can use his power cell to hold the door from out here."

Quickly, Mara went to the other door and hit the release. It slid open without a sound. There was their beloved little astro droid, secured in a restraining collar. It was a simple device, only having a couple latches and clasps holding the droid with enough weight off his wheels so that he couldn't get any traction. "Oh Artoo;" said Mara sympathetically to the droid. "Let me get you out of there and then we can grab Luke and get the hell out of here."

The droid whistled in agreement and minutes later, all three of them were circling around to avoid being seen to try and get to a ship. As they went, they dodged patrols of Karrde's men. Weather they were actually patrolling or just going about daily business was a mystery but it really didn't matter at that point. It was only a few minutes before they made it to the maintenance hanger - only to find no SoroSuub 3000 Luxury Cruiser waiting for them. Mara looked very upset and Luke grimace before whispering, "We might have to take a different ship and come back for the _Star_ later, Dearest."

Mara nodded stiffly. She didn't like it one little bit but she couldn't really argue considering the situation. Looking around, they studied their options. "What do we see?" asked Luke out loud. There was a downsized bulk freighter, a Corellian Corvette and a trio of sleek looking fighters twice as long as an X-wing. Immediately, Mara pointed to them. "Those; Skipray Blastboats; they'll have to do in a pinch. I'm not as familiar with them but I've flown one before. What's more, we'll all fit, though it will be a little snug."

Quickly, they hustled over to one. The hatch inside was in the port side and Luke managed to manhandle the droid between the rearmost two of the four seats inside. Mara had already started firing it up and Luke dropped into the tech/weapons station behind the pilots seats.

* * *

Shada heard the whine of the repulsers and ran around the corner of the main building, almost bumping into Rianna as the Skipray took off. "Shavit, Luke, what are you thinking?" said Rianna, putting both hands on her head. "Come on! We need to get after them!" snapped Shada and bolted into the hanger towards the other Skipray. Rianna was right behind her for the soul purpose of making sure that Shada didn't do anything to Luke or Mara. As they powered up the ship, Shada growled to herself, "Talon is not going to like this at all."

 **Updated 12.06.2017**


	13. Chapter 13: Escape Attempt

"We have trouble;" said Luke. "You think?" snapped Mara as she tried to throw the Blastboat into a maneuver. The pursuing ship followed on with ease and Mara cursed the ship she was flying, the planet they were on and the millions of little force-suppressing beasts below. "We aren't going to lose them. Whoever's flying is a hell of a pilot."

Luke contemplated powering up the weapons systems but he didn't know who was in the starship behind them and, without the force, he wasn't sure he could get a good shot. "Luke, they're powering up their weapons;" gasped Mara. That did it. Luke took the weapons control and said, "Powering it up now. I'll let you know when they're ready."

It was too late! The pursuing ship was close enough to force them low - so low that their ventral haul was scraped by the tree tops. Mara's eyes shot wide as she struggled to maintain control. To make thing's work, whoever was flying nudged towards them again.

In the pursuing skipray, Rianna cursed and yelled, "Shada, they are going to crash if you keep pressing them like that! Ease up! They can't go any lower!"

Shada snapped back, "They shouldn't have tried to escape. I'm pushing them down!"

"Well couldn't you at least attempt the comms system before you possibly kill two people and an unborn child?" yelled Rianna. Shada didn't reply. "Dammit, Shada, that's an order! Try the comms or so help me, I'll make sure that Karrde hears about this and you know he won't be happy no matter how good you are in the sack!"

Shada shot a glare over her shoulder. "That's none of your-" but her words were cut off by the sound of shrieking metal and a jerk of the ship. She had lost focus! And that loss of focus had caused her to ram into the starfighter they were pursuing. Now, they were both milliseconds away from crashing into the forest. "Hold on to something;" yelled Shada through gritted teeth as they smashed into branches. The ship in front of them was in just as much peril. The sound of the trees scraping the haul and the metal rending was terrible and the power went out, leaving the two starfighters to smash through the canopy and crash to the ground, leaving a long furrow of smoking dirt and scrap.

Luke was moving instantly, ignoring the bruises from his crash webbing. "Mara? Mara, are you okay?"

His wife was slightly dazed, holding her stomach protectively. With a light moan, she said, "I'm alright; I don't think anything hit me or my stomach but I'm about to be seriously sick. Get me outta here!"

Caught between laughing in amusement and weeping for relief, Luke carefully and tenderly assisted his wife out the blast door. Immediately, she retched, emptying the contents of her stomach into the foliage. Luke sighed and rubbed her back tenderly and whispered, "Let it all out, my love. It'll be okay; just it all out."

The glare she shot him was rendered comical by the fact that she constantly had to heave. "Never tell a pregnant woman that it will be okay. Until this baby is in a cradle and not my body, _nothing_ is alright."

"Of course, Darling. Of course; are you okay at the moment? I'm going to grab a survival pack from the cargo hold and we can take stock of our position. Of course, we need to check on the other ship."

A cool voice caused them both to look up sharply. "Oh don't worry about that, Skywalker; we're just fine."

Shada D'ukal was standing there, her dress ripped and with a blaster in her hand, aimed at Luke. Rianna glared at her and said, "Shada, put the gun down! I am not going to be dragging them through the forests at blaster point and neither are you. Is that clear?"

Shada glared at her and said, "Your emotional connection to your ex-boyfriend is clouding your judgement."

"And your obsessive worry for Karrde and the business's well-being is clouding yours! You weren't here and neither was I but these two are the reason that Karrde was able to get away from the New Republic and the Empire when Ackbar, Fey'lya and the Imperial Remnant Warlords wanted him for interrogation. These are friends now holster the blaster or so help me, I will take it from you!"

Shada stared levelly at her, gauging the odds. They were both first class hand to hand combatants, Rianna having learned from her father and numerous commandos in the Alliance Special Forces and Shada having learned from - a very secretive group. She had never told anyone exactly where she had learned her skills. Not wanting to engage in a three - well - two on one fight with Rianna and Luke, she lowered her weapon and said, "If they get away, it's on your head, Rianna."

"Hey, we're both right here;" snapped Mara, straightening from her hunched position. "Now listen up because I'm only going to say this once: there is no way we are going back as prisoners of anyone. We are going back as acquaintances of Karrde. So long as you keep your attitudes in check, so will we. Don't let my condition fool you. My capacity for mayhem is only just slightly diminished. Understood?"

Rianna nodded and Shada shrugged. Seeing them swinging from the hips of their captors, Mara pointed to their lightsabers. "And give us those back. NOW!"

Shada yelled, "Don't even-" but Rianna didn't listen, tossing the weapons to them. "Thank you, Rianna;" said Mara with a pleased smile. Luke was chuckling, once again impressed by his wife. Not even pregnancy would stop her from being down right scary when she had to be.

* * *

The three shuttles landed in a perfectly synchronized formation. Aves, one of Kardde's men, grunted and muttered, "The Empire's parade-ground expertise hasn't eroded, anyway."

"Hush!" hissed Karrde. He fully expected Thrawn and his Sith ally to emerge from the central shuttle. From each of them came a squad of gleaming white armored Stormtroopers with blaster rifles held securely across their chests. From the right shuttle came a group of mid level officers followed by a short, wiry alien with a protruding jaw, a woman in a leather tunic and black robes and, last of all, the white uniformed Grand Admiral Thrawn and the black robed Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Diabolis. _So much for him doing things the obvious way;_ mused Karrde. With his small reception group, Karrde approached the visiting Imperials, struggling to ignore the disconcerting white masks of the Stormtrooper's combat helmets. "Grand Admiral Thrawn, Darth Diabolis - welcome to our little corner of Myrkr. I am Talon Karrde."

Both visitors inclined their heads with polite smiles. "Pleased to meet you, Captain;" said Thrawn. "Yes, it is our pleasure;" affirmed the Dark Lord. Karrde motioned towards his group and said, "I apologize for our less than formal greeting. We don't often entertain guests - especially not of your statuses."

"Really?" inquired Thrawn with a raised brow. "I thought a man of your position would be used to dealing with the elite."

Darth Diabolis nodded. "Yes; at least you were until the end of the more recent Clone Conflict with Warlord X1. I'm eager to hear why it is that you were suddenly chased out of New Republic favor."

Karrde gave a tight smile and replied, "It is quite the story. Perhaps you will allow me to tell you over some refreshments."

"Of course;" said Lord Diabolis, resting his hands on his utility belt, his left one dangerously close to his lightsaber. "While we partake, you can tell us about the interesting little drama that has just occurred as well."

Karrde suppressed a grimace and managed to reply easily, "Merely, a small internal problem. A former and somewhat disgruntled employee broke into one of our storage facilities and stole some stock, escaping in one of my ships. Another of our people is in pursuit."

" _Was_ in pursuit, Captain;" corrected the Grand Admiral almost lazily. "Or didn't you hear that they both went down?"

Karrde paled ever so slightly as a thin needle of ice began to go through him. "I didn't know that, no. Our sensors-the metallic content of the trees fowls them up badly."

Diabolis kept the smirk off his face though it was still detectable in his voice. "We had a higher observation angle. It looked like the pursuing craft bumped into the other, causing them both to tumble out of control."

Karrde nodded silently, thinking of Rianna and Shada. "I take it the pursuer or pursuers were special?" asked Thrawn conversationally. Karrde's face became just noticeably harder and he said with just the smallest edge in his voice, "All of my people are special. Please excuse me for a moment. I have a rescue team to organize." Before Karrde could activate his comlink, Thrawn lifted a forestalling hand. "Permit me, Captain;" and he turned to his Stormtroopers. "Trooper Commander, take a detail to the crash sites and bring back any survivors as well as anything that looks like it doesn't belong in a skipray blastboat."

"Right away, Sir;" replied the Stormtrooper commander. Karrde's mouth grew suddenly dry and he replied levelly, "I appreciate the help but it really isn't necessary."

"Oh but we are only too glad to help loyal citizens and business men of the Empire;" said the Grand Admiral with glittering red eyes. Darth Diabolis suppressed a snort of amusement. Every single sentence and word that the Grand Admiral uttered was like a move on a multi-dimensional holo-chess board. The being was a wonder to work with and Lord Diabolis had already learned so much from him.

With the hum of repulser lifts, one of the white Lambda shuttles rose into the air and headed in the direction of the crash sight. "Now;" said Darth Diabolis conversationally, "with that out of the way, I believe you were going to show us around your little operation here."

"Yes, of course;" said Karrde, offering a friendly smile. "If you will follow me?"

* * *

"Looks like the Stormtroopers are leaving;" murmured Han as he watched the shuttle through his macrobinoculars. "Some of them anyway;" he corrected as he noted a few more entering the base with Karrde, Diabolis and a tall, white uniformed, blue skinned near human. Lando took the binos and nodded in agreement. "Yup, it sure looks that way. Only one of the shuttles took off. Han turned to the young slicer Ghent, Karrde's assigned baby sitter. "Do you get Imperial visitors here often?"

The young man shook his head vigorously. "No, not here. They've gone into the forest once or twice for yslamari but they've never come to the base."

Han and Lando shared a very worried glance. "Yslamari, huh? Looks like the Empire is taking the New Jedi Order even more seriously now that they are low on their own Dark Jedi and all that. Or maybe there's distrust between the Imps and the Sith;" said Han, just a hint of anxiety in his voice. Lando shrugged unhappily. "Beats me, Han."

Ghent was so tense, he might have snapped in half. "Look, couldn't we get back to the ship now? Karrde told me I was supposed to keep you there, where it's safe."

They ignored him. "What do you think, Lando?" asked Han. The one-time gambler shrugged. "I think it has something to do with those two skiprays that shot off just as Karrde was herding us away."

Ghent offered, "There was some kind of prisoner or maybe more than one. Karrde, Shada and Rianna had them stashed away and maybe they got out. Now, can we please-" Han gave him a hard look as Lando growled, "Prisoners? Since when did Karrde take prisoners?"

Han's face was hard as duracrete. "Maybe when he started dealing in assassins."

Ghent's eyes widened to near comical sizes. "We don't deal in assassins!"

Jerking his thumb towards the two start white Lambda shuttles, Han growled, "Well you're dealing with them now. See that gray guy - it's one of the aliens who was trying to kill Leia, Luke and me."

That got both Lando and Ghent's attention. "Are you sure?" asked the former as he peered through the binos again. "At least that it's one of the same species at any rate now who is this prisoner or prisoners?"

Ghent shook his head. "I don't know. They brought him or them or whatever back on the _Wild Karrde_ and put them in short term barracks. After that, I think they moved him over to one of the storage shed when they got word that the Imperials were coming down to visit."

"What did he, she, they - whatever - what did they look like?"

"I don't know;" hissed Ghent. He was beginning to lose the little composure he had left. "None of us were supposed to go near or ask questions about the prisoner or prisoners."

The two retired generals looked at each other. Lando murmured, "Could be someone they don't want the Imperials to get hold of. A defector maybe, trying to reach the New Republic."

Han scowled and said, "I'm more worried that they moved whoever it was from the barracks. That could mean that those Stormtroopers are planning to move in for awhile."

Ghent lifted a hand and said, "Karrde didn't say anything about that."

Lando gave a sour smile, "Karrde may not know it yet. Trust me, kid, I was on the short end of a Stormtrooper _and_ Sith bargain."

The Imperial party had disappeared into the structure and Han asked, "Any idea on who the guy with the red eyes is?"

Ghent chewed his lip and replied, "I think he's a Grand Admiral or something. He took over Imperial operations awhile back. I don't know his name."

Han and Lando shared startled looks. "When next we see her, we need to sit down and have a long talk with our favorite former Imperial agent turned breathtaking Jedi Knight about the Grand Admirals. I'm pretty sure New Republic Intelligence claims that we took care of all of them;" said Lando. Ghent was nearly frantic now. "Look, they went inside and there's nothing left to see. Now can we please-"

"Let's get back to the _Falcon_ ;" said Han, cutting him off. Lando was silent as they waded through the chest high, sharp-bladed grass to the ship. Finally, he sighed and muttered, "Let's hope we live long enough to ask dear Mara about this at all."

"We will;" assured Han. "We'll stick around long enough to find out what kind of game Karrde is playing but then, we're gone. Even if we have to blow out of here with that camo net still hanging off the ship."

* * *

Luke and Mara heard the ship coming and looked at one another. They tried to connect through their bond but were once again frustrated by the indigenous yslamari. "Into the trees. Move!" she hissed and they obeyed without asking. "Further in;" she hissed, waving them before her. Luke refused to go too far ahead of his wife. Rianna and Shada were like twin ghosts in the trees, flitting from shadow to shadow with expert stealth. The only thing Luke and Mara noticed were the odd shimmer from Shada's dress or the orange of Rianna's skin. "Far enough;" she hissed, "hit the dirt and lie still."

The others dropped to their stomachs while she skillfully rolled to one side under some large leafed plants, hiding and avoiding squashing her swollen abdomen and its precious occupant. They were all silent as the shuttle finished circling and l settle between the gouged and torn earth between the two skiprays. With the hiss of hydraulics, the ramp lowered and disgorged the Stormtroopers. They all lay still and waited. For fifteen minutes, the troopers searched around before filing back into the ship and taking off. When the wine of repulsers had completely faded, they all stood up quietly. Rianna said, "Well-" but Mara lifted a hand, cutting her off. "Quiet! They most likely left a sensor behind. That's standard procedure at least for them. Let's grab a little more distance between us and the crash site."

After covering another couple hundred meters, Mara needed to rest. "Do we have anything for her to eat?" asked Luke a little anxiously. "Oh yeah, a full four course meal;" replied Shada snidely. Rianna shot her a glare before digging into her pack and pulling some ration bars and a bottle of water. From her pouch, she pulled a capsule and cracked it open, spilling white powder into it. "Here, the food for her stomach to keep it calm and the powder and water will make sure she gets any nutrients the ration bar doesn't have."

Luke smiled. "Thank you, Rianna."

Shada was just glaring at them. "Now that we have fed and watered them, what's next?"

Rianna went over to some of the supplies they had scavenged from two fighters. First, she pulled a flat, silver box and opened it, tapping away at a keyboard. It was a few minutes before she sighed and see. "Well it looks like a three day wake through the woods to Hyllyard City and civilization. Well, relative civilization anyway."

Shada motioned to R2. "What about the droid?"

Mara looked at her levelly. "What about him?"

"Obviously, what are we going to do with him - unless you plan to drag, carry and lug him through the jungles;" snapped Shada. Before Luke could even protest, Mara had it covered. "No. We need him. His sensors and scanners can detect predators far better than we can, even with the metal content in these plants. He can keep look out while we all sleep."

Rianna agreed. "She does have a point, Shada. It's going to be hard enough to get sleep without constantly wondering if an animal is going to devour us while we do."

Luke could tell that Shada was getting irritated by constantly being overruled. "We don't need the droid. If we all take turns taking watch, it will serve the same damned purpose."

She leveled a blaster pistol at R2-D2 but Luke lifted a hand. "Wait a minute! We can use him to contact Karrde."

All three of them looked at him with surprise. "Oh really?" asked Shada, "and how do you propose to do that?"

"Rianna, does your communicator have the range to get back to the base without needing satellite boosting?"

Rianna chewed a plump lip and considered, her head cocked to one side. "There's a sonde balloon in here that can get it past most of the damping from the forest but the problem is that it's nondirectional. Anyone in this hemisphere, Imperials included, will be able to listen in."

Luke shook his head. "That's just fine. I can have Artoo encrypt it so that no on else will be able to get anything out of it - except Artoo of course."

Rianna looked blank and said, "Um... but if Artoo encrypts it, how will Karrde be able to decrypt it?"

"He won't have to;" said Luke. "The computer inside the _Jade Star_ can do it."

Rianna cocked an eyebrow. "There's no way. You can't counterpart encrypt between a droid and ship computer."

Luke smirked. "But why not? Artoo is the only droid that has ever worked with that ship's computer. Considering we've never wiped his memory, I'm more than willing to bet that he's molded that ship's computer to his own personality - probably did the first two or three times he plugged into it."

Mara's green eyes widened and she gasped, "Blast, I never even thought about that! Your droid's been mucking around my ships computer!"

"Hey now, you and I both know that the _Star_ always works better when he's around - at least twenty-five to thirty percent better;" said Luke with just a touch of defensiveness in his voice. Mara looked like she was about to argue but just sighed and said, "Yeah well, that's probably going to be a favor to us now anyway. So what's your idea, Farmboy?"

That got a snicker from Rianna and even a cocked eyebrow of amusement from Shada. "Farmboy?"

Luke waved it away. "Just go with it. Everyone else does. Anyhow, all I need to do is send a message and have Artoo dump it into storage, leaving some kind of flashing signal for them to be able to find it easily. Anyone with just a basic level of starship operation can pull a dump."

They were all silent before Shada said, "Okay well what about the droid? It will take forever to drag him around this terrain."

Mara tossed her red-gold hair and said, "Oh he's made it through forests like this before. If it gets to be too much, we can always use a dragging frame or something."

Shada was still doubtful but nodded. With a smile, Luke ignited his lightsaber and cut some branches from nearby trees. After he had gathered them, Mara wrapped her arms around him from behind and purred, "You get me all stirred up with your brilliant ideas, Farmboy."

"What brilliant idea?" chuckled Luke, causing her to roll her eyes and say, "Shut up and give me a kiss before you get back to work."

Rianna chuckled but Shada muttered to her, "Are we going to have to deal with the cutesy couple the whole trip?"

Rianna just laughed again.

 **Updated 12.06.2017**


	14. Chapter 14: The Plot Thickens

"I must apologize for chasing you out like that;" Karrde said as he walked Han toward the central building. "Particularly in the middle of a meal. It's not exactly the sort of hospitality we strive for here."

"No problem," Han told him casually and eyeing him as best as he could in the gathering dusk. "What was that all about anyway?"

"Nothing serious," Karrde assured him easily. "Some people with whom I've had business dealings wanted to come and look at the place over."

"Ah;" said Han. "So you're working directly for the Empire now? Luke and Mara are going to be extremely disappointed."

Karrde's expression cracked just a little. Han expected him to make some sort of reflexive denial; instead, he stopped to look at Lando and Ghent who were walking behind them. "Ghent?" he asked mildly.

"I'm sorry, sir," the kid said, sounding utterly miserable. "They insisted on coming out to see what was happening."

"I see." Karrde looked back at Han, his face calm again. "No harm done, probably. Not the wisest of risks to take, though."

"I'm used to taking risks," growled Han, crossing his arms, "You haven't answered my question."

Karrde resumed walking. "If I'm not interested in working for the New Republic, I'm certainly not interested in working for the Empire. The Imperials have been coming here for the past few weeks to collect ysalamiri."

"Is that so?" asked Han. "It's no secret what those things are good for, Karrde. It's obvious they're planning on using them against the Jedi. I recognized Darth Diabolis, self proclaimed big head-man of the Sith but who was the blue skinned being in the Grand Admiral's uniform."

Karrde gave a thin smile. "You know that information costs money, Captain Solo?"

"How much money?" growled Han, beginning to get very sick of this two faced smuggler chief and his ridiculous games. "Actually, his name is not for sale at the moment. Perhaps we can talk about it later."

"Thanks, but I don't think there's going to be a later," Han snapped. "If you don't mind, we'll just say our goodbyes here and get back to the ship."

Karrde seemed mildly surprised. "You're not going to finish our dinner? You hardly had a chance to get started."

Han looked him straight in the eye. "I don't especially like sitting on the ground like a practice target when there are Stormtroopers wandering around," he said bluntly. Karrde's face hardened. "At the moment, sitting on the ground is preferable to drawing attention in the air," he said coldly. "The Star Destroyer hasn't left orbit yet. Lifting off now would be an open invitation for them to swat you down."

"The _Falcon's_ outrun Star Destroyers before," Han countered. But Karrde had a point and the fact that he hadn't turned the two of them over to the Imperials probably meant that he could be trusted, at least for now. Probably. On the other hand, if they _did_ stay... "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stick around a little longer," he conceded. "All right, sure, we'll finish dinner."

"Good," Karrde said. "It will just take a few minutes to get things put back together."

"You took everything apart?" Lando asked. "Everything that might have indicated we had guests," Karrde said. "The Grand Admiral is highly observant, and I wouldn't have put it past him to know exactly how many of my associates are staying here at the moment."

"Well, while you're getting things ready," Han said, "I want to go back to the ship and check on the couple of things."

Karrde's eyes narrowed slightly. "But you _will_ be back."

Han gave him an innocent smile. "Trust me."

Karrde gazed at him a moment longer, then shrugged. "Very well. Watch yourselves, though. The local predators don't normally come this close in to our encampment, but there are exceptions."

"We'll be careful," Han promised. "Come on, Lando."

They headed back the way they'd come. "So what did we forget to do back at the _Falcon_?" Lando asked quietly as they reached the trees. "Nothing," Han murmured back. "I just thought it'd be a good time to go check out Karrde's storage sheds. Particularly the one that was supposed to have a prisoner in it."

They went about five meters into the forest, then changed direction to circle the compound. A quarter of the way around the circle, they found a likely looking group of small buildings. "Look for a door with a lock," Lando suggested as they came out among the sheds. "Either permanent or temporary."

"Right." Han peered through the darkness. "That one over there - the one with two doors?"

"Could be," Lando agreed. "Let's take a look."

The leftmost of the two doors did indeed have a lock. However, the lock had been jimmied and it was clear that the building had no power running to it. Normally, do to safety features of doors on buildings like this, the doors would open automatically. However, this door's controls had been tweaked so that the door would stay shut even when the power went off. "What do you think, Han?"

"I think that this is our makeshift prison sell. Let's see here;" and he tried to activate the door. It didn't work. Frowning, Han knelt down and fiddled with the door. With a soft hiss, it slid open as its safety feature kicked in. Inside was an interesting scene. There was a cot, some ration packs, open boxes of uniforms and uniform pins and the like and, on one wall, a plate was damaged. "I wonder how our mysterious prisoners got that door open;" mused Lando as he examined the inner door control. The outer panel had been removed and the wiring had been tampered with. "Hey Han, it looks like someone might have used another power source to open the door from in here."

Han looked over at it and said, "But what kind of power source would give that kind of charge?"

Lando chuckled, "Plenty could - droid powercells, some blaster powercells, more powerful communications equipment power sources and so on. My question is, what kind of power source would be available for prisoners? They wouldn't have any equipment like that."

Han nodded as he ran through a list of equipment that a prisoner might be allowed to maintain during their internment. "I'm gonna take a look next door;" her murmured absently. He headed out and into the next room. It's door was open and there was only some more boxes and a droid restraining collar. On the ground were a pair of ruts where it looked like an astromech droid had tried to force its way out. "There's no way;" muttered Han. The door hissed open behind him again and Han spun, his trusty blaster in his hand and ready to shoot. There stood Karrde. "You seem to have gotten lost;" said the smuggler chief calmly. His eyes flicked around the room. "And to have lost General Calrissian along the way."

Han lowered his blaster. "You need to tell your people to put their toys away when they're done," he said, nodding his head at the abandoned restraint collar. "So, you were holding a droid prisoner, too? An astrodroid by the look of it."

Karrde smiled thinly. "I see Ghent was talking out of turn again. Amazing, isn't it, how so many expert slicers know everything about computers and droids and yet don't know when to keep their mouths shut."

"It's amazing how so many expert smugglers don't know when to leave a messy deal alone;" snapped Han. "So what's your Grand Admiral and Sith Lord buddies have you doing - formal slaving or just random kidnappings?"

Karrde's eyes flashed. "I don't deal in slaves, Solo. Slaves or kidnapping. Never."

"What was this one, then? An accident?"

"I didn't ask for them to come back into my life," Karrde snapped, "Nor did I especially want him there."

Han snorted. "You're stretching, Karrde. What'd they do, drop in out of the sky on top of you?"

"As a matter of fact, that's very nearly the way it happened," said Karrde stiffly. "Oh, well, that's a good reason to lock someone up," Han said sardonically. "Who were they?"

"That information's not for sale."

"Well maybe we don't need to buy it;" said Lando, coming in the door from behind him. "Think about it, Han - you have a couple of prisoners, right? They manage to get through a door that was rigged shut, ignoring regular safety protocols to a powerless building. Adding on top of that, the fact that they had an astrodroid and the fact that they used a mysterious power source that is now missing and it gives me a couple ideas. Thinking of everything that could use a small power source with enough juice to power a door, there is really only one piece of equipment that a prisoner would be allowed to maintain: a cybernetic limb such as a hand."

Han's eyes hardened and he glared at Karrde, his blaster raising slightly. Karrde sighed, his expression a mixture of annoyance and resignation. "What do you want me to say? -that Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker were prisoners here? Alright, consider it said."

Han's blaster rose a little more and he growled through a tight jaw, "Where are they now?"

"I thought Ghent would have told you. They escaped in one of my Skipray blastboats and crashed them both in the process."

Han felt anxiety chill his blood, "They did what? Mara's pregnant!"

"They're all right, or at least they were a couple hours ago. The stormtroopers who went to investigate said that both wrecks were deserted. I hope that means Skywalker and Jade Skywalker are working with Shada and Rianna."

Han cocked a brow. "Why wouldn't they be? Rianna and Luke go way back."

"That's true but Shada has a distrust for anyone who comes from the New Republic due to Ackbar and Fey'lya deciding that I would be better in an interrogation chair than in a business deal."

"But Luke and Mara literally let you go immediately after resigning their commissions to the military. Of all members of the New Republic, she should trust them."

Karrde shrugged and said, "That's why I think they'll be alright."

Han nodded and holstered his blaster. "Do to the fact that you didn't hand them or us directly over to the Empire, I'm going to show you some trust, Karrde. Now, I want you to take us to the _Jade Star_ , Luke and Mara's yacht."

"Of course;" said Karrde, "I would recommend waiting until morning, though. We moved it quite a bit further back into the trees and at this hour, there will be predators out there."

Han complied after a moment of hesitation, thinking that if Karrde was working an angle of some kind, he would have done it already when he first captured the Skywalkers. A few more hours would likely make no difference what so ever. "What are we going to do about Luke, Mara, Rianna and Shada?"

Karrde shook his head, not quite meeting Han's eye. "There's nothing we can do for them tonight. Not with vornskrs roaming the forest and the Grand Admiral still in orbit. We'll have to discuss it tomorrow and see what we come up with. In the meantime, dinner should be ready by now. If you'll follow me..."

* * *

The dimly lit holographic art gallery had changed again, this time to a collection of remarkably similar flame-shaped works that seemed to pulsate and alter in form as Pellaeon moved carefully between the pedestals. As usual, Darth Diabolis was studying the works of art, attempting to glean information from them as Grand Admiral Thrawn did. "Have you found them, Captain?" asked Thrawn as the captain reached the double display circle. Pellaeon braced himself. "I'm afraid not, sir. We'd hoped that with the arrival of local nightfall, we'd be able to get some results from the infrared sensors. But they don't seem to be able to penetrate the tree canopy, either."

Thrawn nodded. "What about that pulse transmission we picked up just after sundown?"

"We were able to confirm that it originated from the approximate location of the crash site but it was too brief for the precise location check. The encrypt on it is a very strange one. Decrypt thinks that it might be a type of counterpart coding. They're still working on it."

"They've tried all Rebel encrypts I presume?"

"Yes, sir, as per your orders."

Thrawn nodded thoughtfully before looking over at Diabolis. "My lord, what are your thoughts?"

Diabolis turned and said, "Correct me if I'm wrong, it's still a somewhat new concept to me, but there really is no way to decrypt a counterpart code without having the counterpart."

Thrawn shrugged and said, "There are ways to do it but the simplest way is to get a hold of the counterpart computer or ship. As it stands, we seem to be at something of a stalemate then, gentlemen. At least as long as they're in the forest. Have you calculated their their likely emergence points?"

"There's really only one practical choice, Admiral;" Pellaeon said, wondering why they were making so much of a fuss over this. "A town called Hyllyard City, on the edge of the forest and almost directly along their path. It's the only population center anywhere for more than a hundred kilometers. With only a couple survival packs for four individuals, they almost have to come out there."

"Excellent;" said Thrawn. "I want you to detail three squads of Stormtroopers to set up an observation post there. They're to assemble and depart ship immediately."

Pellaeon blinked. "Stormtroopers, sir?"

"Stormtroopers," Thrawn repeated, turning his gaze to one of the flame sculptures. "Better add half a biker scout unit, too, and three Chariot light assault vehicles."

Cautiously, Pellaeon said, "Yes, sir."

Stormtroopers had become in increasingly short supply these days. To waste them like this, on something so utterly unimportant as a smuggler squabble. "Karrde lied to us, you see," Thrawn continued, as if reading Pellaeons mind. Lord Diabolis chuckled, "Even without the force, I could tell that. I'm quite curious about that drama with those to Skiprays."

"Indeed. It's quite simple, gentlemen. The pilot of the pursuit vehicle never reported in and no one from Karrde's organization reached out to contact them;" explained Thrawn. Diabolis had strolled over, his hands firmly clasped behind his back and listening as intently as a student would to a teacher. "We know that since we'd have intercepted any transmissions."

The Sith Lord nodded as he mused, "No progress reports, no requests for assistance, nothing."

Thrawn looked over at Pellaeon. "Speculation, Captian?"

"Whatever it was," the Captain said slowly, "it was something they didn't want us knowing about. Beyond that I don't know, sir. There could be any number of things they wouldn't want outsiders to know about. They _are_ smugglers, after all."

Thrawn's red eyes glittered. "Agreed, but now consider the additional fact that Karrde refused our invitation to join in the search for the Skywalkers and the fact that this afternoon, he implied that the search was over. What does that suggest to you, Captain?"

Diabolis scratched his stubbly chin. "So we're operating under the assumption that the Skywalkers were in that first Skipray - good. I am eagerly awaiting our next meeting. If you do not mind, Grand Admiral Thrawn, I would appreciate you bringing them in alive. It would bring me great pleasure to execute them personally."

Thrawn gave the ghost of a smile. "It isn't all that likely, my lord but, if I am correct and it is them and we do encounter them, I will issue orders to take them alive. As it is, we should follow up with this speculation."

Captian Pellaeon nodded and checked his chrono. "If we stay here more than another day or two, we may have to move back the Sluis Van attack."

"We're no moving Sluis Van," said Thrawn emphatically. "Our entire victory campaign against the Rebellion begins there, and I'll not have so complex and far-reaching a schedule altered. Not for the Skywalkers, no for anyone else. Sluissi art clearly indicates a biannual cyclic pattern, and I want to hit them at their most sluggish point. We'll have for our rendezvous with the Inexorable and the cloaking shield test as soon as the troops and vehicles have been dropped. Three squads of Stormtroopers should be adequate to the Skywalkers, if they are indeed here."

Diabolis frowned and said, "From personal experience, Grand Admiral Thrawn, I would include more soldiers and even perhaps a light mechanized unit if you can spare them. The Skywalkers are more than any three squads of Stormtroopers can handle."

Thrawn considered before saying, "Very well, my Lord; add three squads of army soldiers and perhaps a sniper team as well. Would that be sufficient?"

Diabolis looked as though he was resisting the urge to grimace. "It is better, yes. Perhaps I should go as well."

Thrawn slowly nodded his head. "If that is what you wish then by all means, my Lord, go take your revenge. Take care, however. I fear that your followers would complicate things if you were to miscalculate and wind up dead."

Diabolis smiled and said, "I will take care, Grand Admiral Thrawn."

* * *

Night had fallen quickly and the darkness were almost absolute. Shada and Rianna had their survival kit lights on their lowest settings as they cleared the camp a little. Luke helped Mara to the ground where she sat with a sigh of relief and contentment. "Reminds me of Endor;" she murmured quietly. Luke chuckled. "Yes, the forest always sounds so busy at night."

Rianna chuckled. "Yeah, it's busy all right. There are a lot of nocturnal animals here, including vornskrs."

"Strange, Karrde's pets seemed wide enough awake in the late afternoon."

"Yeah well, even in the wild, they tend to take naps around the clock. They just do most of their hunting at night;" said Shada. Mara nodded appreciatively. "You seem to know a lot about this place."

"Know your territory;" murmured Shada. "It was the first lesson I ever learned."

Mara chuckled tiredly, "Yeah, same here."

"Really?" asked Shada, showing more interest than she had since they had met her. "Who was your first teacher?"

"Emperor Palpatine;" said Mara casually. Rianna and Shada both stared at her for a moment. "What?" asked Mara, "It's common knowledge that I was the Emperor's Hand. Well, _an_ Emperor's Hand apparently."

"So you learned everything you know, except for maybe some of your Jedi skills, from the Emperor?"

"Oh stars, no. He had me training with the best of instructors for everything - piloting, armed combat, unarmed combat, infiltration, survival, diplomacy, the arts - you name it, he had me instructed. Most training was part of my general life but some was specifically tailored to specific missions."

Shada looked as though she was remembering a similar life. "I know what you mean; and here I thought you were just another Jedi, with perhaps a bit of a more sordid past."

Luke chuckled. "Oh she's more than just another Jedi. She could be an elite commando, an intelligence agent, an ace pilot, an assassin, a diplomat or a business woman on top of the fact that she is one of our best Jedi Knights."

Mara's smile widened, "He says that with so much pride because I was his first student - and he was mine too."

Shada and Rianna cocked their eyebrows. "We both had skills that the other could learn so we taught each other;" Mara explained simply. Rianna snickered, "Oh I'll bet you did."

Luke blushed and said, "Not like - well, I guess it applies there too."

After a long moment, Mara asked, "So, about the Imperials that were visiting you..."

"We can't talk about it;" said Shada quickly. Rianna rolled her eyes. "Shada, these are friends. They were friends of Karrdes long before either of us worked for him and they are the reason he wasn't thrown into an interrogator's chair."

"That may be true, but you know Karrde's policy on information. If he were to give it to them, it would cost them and you know for a fact that this information would be worth a lot of money."

Both Luke and Mara watched the exchange. As easily as if it were another outfit, Mara slipped into her soft interrogation mode. "So if that information is so valuable, I'm guessing we're dealing with a high ranking and intelligent Imperial military officer or perhaps a Moff. However, most moffs and the highest ranking individuals of the Imperial hierarchy have been accounted for. I don't think that any Grand Moffs are still out there and the Grand Generals and Grand Admirals are all accounted for. Well, not all accounted for but the last remaining Grand Admiral was last sent to the Unknown Regions to map it out."

As she spoke, she carefully monitored both Shada and Rianna, but she might as well be looking at a pair of statues. "Now, given that whoever it is was able to pull off several different attacks with so much ease, they are clearly tactically brilliant. They are also allied with Darth Diabolis - which isn't easy considering that he is a Dark Lord of the Sith bent on galactic conquest."

She would have kept going if Artoo, who had been scanning the surrounding area, hadn't started whistling. Shada and Rianna pulled their blasters and Luke unclipped his lightsaber. A vornskr stood in the low lights, it's tail pointed straight out and slowly flicking up and down. Coolly, Shada shot it through the head and it collapsed. "Nice shot. Are Karrde's pets a different species or did he have their tails removed?"

"The latter;" replied Shada as she holstered her blaster. "Vornkrs use their tails like whips, which have a mild poison in them, very painful. We actually found out that removing their tails not only avoids painful whip welts, it also kills some of their aggressive hunting instincts."

Rianna nodded. "Yeah, we'd talked about offering them up as guard animals but never really got around to it."

Mara chuckled sleepily. "Well if you need testimonials, you got two now."

Luke settled down beside his wife, putting an arm around her. Rianna murmured, "You think we can trust that droid and get some sleep?"

"Skywalker and Jade Skywalker obviously do. Having said that, I think we should keep a watch. You and I can take it, though. Let's let the soon-to-be parents sleep."

"No need for that;" murmured Luke. "Wake me up when you two have both taken a few hours and I'll stand a watch."

 **Updated 12.06.2017**


	15. Chapter 15: Attempt and Opportunity

**Kashyyyk - Rwookrrorro City**

The room was quiet and dark with the faint nighttime sounds of the planet Kashyyyk and the Wookiee city of Rwookrrorro murmuring through the window screens on the cool night breeze. Leia lay there, staring at the curtains with a holdout blaster in one hand and her lightsaber in the other and wondering what it was that had startled her to wakefulness. For several minutes, she lay there, heart thudding, but there was nothing there. Leia took a deep breath and lay back, still probing out with the force.

For the first several days of her stay on Kashyyyk, the elders of the city had made sure that Wookiee warriors patrolled thoroughly and efficiently but eventually, since no sign of the alien being was seen, they slowed down. Damaya and Kirana Ti had arrived as promised and they had been very encouraging. With them, Chewbacca, Salporin and Ralrra also kept a watch over her. But tonight, something was really bothering Leia and she shifted lightly. Checking her chrono, she noted that it was about an hour until dawn. Just outside, a repulser lift sled was parked. If she and Chewbacca and the Dathomir Witches got going now, they could make it to the _Lady Luck_ and out to space before the sun rose. Carefully, she placed the blaster on the nightstand and took hold of the comlink. As she did, a sinewy hand seized her wrist. Another grabbed her lightsaber hand.

There was no time to think but for that first half second, there was no need. Even as her mind froze, her honed combat reflexes kicked in. Kicking against the wall, she tried to shove her opponent to the ground. It worked and they crashed to the floor. The alien loosened his grip and Leia yanked it before he could reestablish his hold and elbowed him hard before spinning out and freeing her other hand and rolling away, trying to be as careful as possible do to her pregnant state. The elbow had been ineffectual, glancing off of body armor of some kind and bruising the bone. Using the force, she both flung her pillow into her opponent's face and summoned her lightsaber. As soon as the weapon connected, it was alive and she cleaved her opponent from shoulder to hip. Carefully, she looked around until a figure dropped from the ceiling and struck her a blow that numbed his lightsaber hand and caused her to drop it. The blade deactivated and left the room in darkness.

Again, Leia attempted to fight but this time, her opponent was more than ready. He wrapped his arm around her neck and twisted an arm around her back. At first, the pressure on her throat began to increase but then, it suddenly stopped and her opponent seemed to sniff. Suddenly, she was free and she spun out of his grip, still trying to maintain her balance. Her lightsaber was in her hand in an instant and it blazed to life, expecting an attack. To her surprise, there was no weapon pointed at her. The small gray alien stood there with his hands splayed behind him and, with a gravely voice, he said almost worshipfuly, " _Mal'ary'ush_."

Leia instinctively reached out with her senses and waited for another attack but it never came. Just then, Chewie and the Dathomir Witches slammed through the door. Orange and yellow light from their lightsabers mingling eerily with Leia's magenta blade. The attacking alien didn't turn to face the tower of fur and sinew as it's large paws reached for its throat. "Don't kill him!" Leia snapped.

The Wookiee froze, startled - almost as startled as Leia was herself. Instead, Chewbacca delivered a heavy cuff upside the alien's head. The blow sent the alien flying halfway across the room and up against the wall. With a slow slide, he collapsed and remained still. Immediately, Kirana Ti hissed, "Damaya, stay with Leia. Chewbacca, come with me! There may be more of them!"

Leia threw a robe on and tried to calm her unborn children, purring to herself and rubbing her stomach comfortingly. Damaya smiled and said, "I remember my first children as well. They fussed when I got anxious or perturbed. You seem to calm them very well."

Leia smiled and the Dathomir witch suddenly began to sing quietly, sitting next to Leia and infusing her words with the force. Almost instantly, the twins within her began to calm and be still in her belly. The song was short and Damaya smiled. "You _need_ to teach me how to do that;" said Leia, shaking her head in admiration. Damaya said, "I'll teach the song to you and any others you wish."

After some time, Kirana Ti, Ralrra and Chewbacca returned and Ralrra explained, "Therre arre none left. The otherr thrree have been dealt with."

Leia sighed and leaned back, her adrenaline draining away, leaving her exhausted. Suddenly, she realized that Ralrra was leaning hard against the door jam. "Ralrra, you're hurt!" she gasped, turning the light on and rushing to him. "Blaster?"

The Wookiee shook his head and rumbled, "Stun weapon, a quieter one but it was set too low for a Wookiee and I am only a little weak. Chewbacca, however, is wounded."

"Oh no, Chewie!" she gasped, hurrying to him. The Wookiee waved his paw with a dismissive growl. "He is right;" said Ralrra, "we must get you away from herre, beforre the second attack comes."

Suddenly, alarms went up outside, Wookiee bellows echoing throughout the city. "There won't be a second attack;" said Leia. "There will be people converging on this house any minute now."

"No, not on this house;" said Ralrra with the shake of his head, "therre is a firre fourr houses away."

Leia gasped in shock. "They lit a house on fire to mask any alert the Wookiees try to make."

The Wookiees growled an affirmative and Ralrra said, "We must get you away from herre."

He carefully eased himself upright. Leia glanced past him through the doorway to the darker hallway beyond, a strange dread suddenly twisting into her stomach. There had been three Wookiees in the house with her before. Turning to face the remaining two, she asked as calmly as could be, "Where is Salporin?"

For several long moments, no one answered until Ralrra rumbled softly, "He did not survive the attack."

Leia staggered back, her throat suddenly growing tight. She swallowed hard and tears formed in her eyes as she managed to whisper, "I'm sorry."

"As arre we," said Ralrra, "but the time forr mourning is not now."

Tears rolled down Leia's face. Even so, she knew that Ralrra was right. Even though there were no other aliens visible, every other team she had encountered with her husband and her brother had been considerably more than just five operatives. Therefore, chances were that any attempt to escape over land would lead to an ambush. To make it worse, staying still was also a bad idea since, once the hue and cry of the fire got going, the aliens would launch a second attack that would be largely overlooked do to the burning home. Feelings of quilt welled up in Leia for the family that lived in the house afire. At first, Leia thought of the sled but then discarded it. Apparently being Mara's friend made one paranoid because Leia knew what the red head would say about that. She could almost hear her sister-in-law's husky voice. "They most likely sabotaged the hover sled. That's what I would do if I wanted to pin a target in."

"We'll need some rope," said Leia as she scooped up clothing and dressing quickly. Ralrra shook his head. "It would be suicide, maybe even for a Wookiee. We will come with you."

Leia nodded as she pulled on her boots. "But your injuries-"

"We will come with you;" said Ralrra firmly enough. Leia nodded, grabbing her blaster and putting it in it's hidden holster before pulling her lightsaber and cut through the floor. That done, Ralrra stepped forward and said, "I'll go first;" and he ducked beneath the floor. Chewbacca stepped close. "What about them?" asked Leia, indicating the Dathomir Witches. They both grinned and said, "We know spells- excuse me, force abilities that will allow us to cling to the trees. Don't worry, Councilor."

Quickly, Chewie strapped Leia to his chest and, when Ralrra returned with an all clear signal, they ducked beneath the structure. The Witches hid their nerves on the outside but Leia could sense their anxiety at being so high in the air. Leia didn't know how long it took but suddenly, the Wookiees stop. "They've found us;" hissed Damaya, straining in obvious exertion. Looking over her shoulder, Leia saw it, the speeder hovering without running lights and without coming any closer. With a grin, Kirana Ti said, "I got it. I'll return shortly."

Before anyone can object, she suddenly slipped into the shadows. Moments later, a lightsaber suddenly came to life and arced its way through the air, cutting through the main stabilizer. The air speeder coughed and began to sink into the forest below. Moments after that, the Dathomir Witch was there again. "We are safe now. Let's head back to the house, gather your things and then head to the ship, Leia. Since they know you're here, it is no longer safe."

Leia nodded and said, "Let's walk this time, please - no need to travel this way anymore."

* * *

After gathering their belongings and learning that the attacking alien had been incarcerated in a Wookiee holding cell, Leia insisted on going to see him. He sat in the tiny cell with a small bandage over his head and a loose and over-sized Wookiee tunic on his body. Everything else, his weapons, his own clothing, everything had been confiscated. Even so, the aura of deadliness and danger did not leave him. He was and would always be a member of a dangerous and ruthless group of killing machines. Apparently, he had asked to see Leia, or so the Wookiee police chief said.

Beside her in the room was Chewie, the only one of the party unwilling to let her enter alone. Neither of them were armed but, of course, when you have an angry Wookiee, you didn't need to be armed in those close quarters. She had asked the Wookiee to stay back by the door and not move or say anything unless she was in trouble. He had complied willing, just happy that she wasn't asking him to leave her alone in the room with the small but dangerous assassin. "I am Leia Organa Solo. You wished to speak with me?"

For another long moment, he gazed at her before slowly standing and reaching out his hand. "Your hand, may I have it?" he asked in a very gravely voice and strange accent.

Leia hesitantly complied and the strange creature grasped her hand in an oddly gentle, almost reverent grip and placed it against his muzzle, inhaling deeply several times. It reminded Leia of how he had sniffed before letting her go unexpectedly in the house during the attack.

He spoke again, his voice and his large dark eyes filled with emotion. "It is then true. I was not mistaken before."

Suddenly, he dropped to his knees and bowed his head not far from the ground, splaying his hands out. "I seek forgiveness, Leia Organa Solo, for my actions. Our orders did not identify you, but gave only your name."

Thinking quickly, Leia replied in a calm, level voice, hoping that her careful phrasing would get her some answers. "I understand. But now you know who I am?"

Dropping his head a couple more centimeters, the creature replied reverently, "You are the _Mal'ary'ush._ The daughter and heir of the Lord Darth Vader - he who was our master."

"You're master?" repeated Leia carefully.

"He who came to us in our desperate need," said the alien almost worshipfully. "Who lifted us from our despair and gave us hope."

"I see;" said Leia diplomatically. The whole situation was becoming so unreal. But one thing was for sure, this alien was treating her like royalty and if there was one thing that Leia could do, it was behave like royalty.

"You may rise," she told him, feeling her voice and posture and manner settling into the almost-forgotten patterns of the Alderaanian court. "What is your name?"

"I am called Khabarakh, by our lord," the alien said, getting to his feet. "In the language of the Noghri-" he made a long, convoluted roiling noise that Leia's vocal cords didn't have a hope of imitating. "I'll call you Khabarakh. Your people are called the Noghri?"

"Yes;" replied Khabarakh, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "But you are the _Mal'ary'ush,"_ with obvious question. Leia felt her jaw tighten slightly. "My father had a lot of secrets," she told him grimly. "You, obviously, were on of them. You said he brought you hope. Tell me how."

"He came to us," the Noghri said. "After the mighty battle. After the destruction."

"What battle?"

Khabarakh's eyes seemed to drift into memory. "Two great starships met in the space over our world, or perhaps more than two - we never knew for certain. They fought all the day and much of the night and when the battle was over, our land was devastated."

Leia winced in sympathy. "We never hurt non-Imperial forces or worlds on purpose." She said, her own voice sounding slightly hollow. "What ever happened, it was an accident."

"The Lord Darth Vader did not think so. He believed that it was done on purpose, to drive fear and terror into the souls of the Emperor's enemies."

"Then Lord Vader was mistaken;" Leia said with firm authority in her voice. "Our battle was with the Emperor, not his subjugated servants."

The Noghri warrior drew himself up stiffly. "We were not the Emperor's servants. We were a simple people, content to live our lives without concern for the dealings of others."

"You serve the Emperor now;" countered Leia. The Noghri's pride was beginning to show. "In return for the Emperor's help; only he came to our aid when we so desperately needed it. In his memory, we serve his designated heir a man to whom the Lord Vader long ago entrusted us."

"I find it difficult to believe the Emperor ever really cared about you;" Leia said, bluntly. "That's not the sort of man he was. All he cared about was obtaining your service against us."

"Only he came to our aid."

"Because we were unaware of your plight;" Leia told him. "So you say;" grated the Noghri. Leia raised her eyebrows. "Then give me a chance to prove it. Tell me where your world is."

Khabarakh jerked back with a hiss. "That is impossible. You should seek us out and complete the destruction-"

"Khabarakh," Leia cut him off. "Who am I?"

Lowering his head, Khabarakh answered, "You are the Lady Vader - the _Mal'ary'ush_."

"Did the Lord Vader ever lie to you?"

"You claim he did."

Leia lifted a finger. "I said her was mistaken. Even the Lord Darth Vader could be deceived and the Emperor was a master at deception."

"Lord Vader served the Emperor. The Emperor would never have lied to him;" insisted the warrior earnestly. Leia gritted her teeth. Stalemate. "Is your new lord equally honest with you?"

The Noghri was silent for a long moment before replying in a low grate, "I do not know."

"Yes you do - you said yourself he didn't tell you who it was you'd been sent to kill."

A strange sort of low moan rumbled in Khabarakh's throat. "I am only a soldier, my lady. These matters are far beyond my authority and ability. My duty is to obey my orders. All of my orders."

Leia frowned, wondering what was off about how he said then when it suddenly hit her. "Yet you now know something none of your people are aware of! You must live, to bring this information to them."

Khabarakh had brought his palms to face each other, as if he was about to clap them together. Now he froze, staring at her. "The Lord Vader could read the souls of the Noghri. You are indeed his _Mal'ary'ush._ "

"Your people need you, Khabarakh," she told him. "As I do. Your death now would only hurt those you seek to help."

The warrior lowered his hands and asked, "How is it you need me?"

"Because I need your help if I'm to do anything for your people. You must tell me the location of your world."

Resolutely, he said, "I cannot. To do so would bring ultimate destruction upon my world. And upon me, if it were learned I had given you such information."

Leia thought quickly before saying, "Then take me there."

"I cannot!"

"Why not?"

"I... cannot."

She fixed him with her best regal stare. "I am the daughter - the _Mal'ary'ush -_ of the Lord Darth Vader. By your own admission, he was the hope of your world. Have matters improved since he delivered you to your new leader?"

"No," he said after a short pause. "He has told us there is little more that he or anyone else can do."

"I would prefer to judge that for myself;" she said regally, "or would your people consider a single human to be such a threat?"

The Noghri warrior twitched slightly and asked, "You would come alone to a people seeking your capture?"

Leia shivered slightly, anxiety kicking in but she quashed it, relying on the force to guide her. "I trust your people to be honorable and I trust them to grant me a hearing."

With that, she turned to the door and said, "Consider my offer. Discuss it with those whose counsel you value. Then, if you choose, meet me in orbit above the world of Endor in one month's time."

Khabarakh looked at her, his expression difficult to read. "You will come alone?"

Leia nodded. "I will come alone. Will you?"

He met her eyes and nodded. "If I come, I will come alone."

She held his gaze a moment longer, then nodded. "I hope to see you there. Farewell."

"Farewell, Lady Vader."

He was still gazing at her as the door opened and she left.

 **Update 12.06.2017**


	16. Chapter 16: Understanding

"So..." murmured Mara as she and Luke gazed at the masses of vines that barred their path. "How should we do this?"

Luke chewed his lip and unclipped his weapon, looking of at Shada and Rianna. "You think this is too risky, using a lightsaber?"

They both shrugged uneasily and Shada muttered, "Just make it quick, Skywalker."

Luke ignited his green weapon and swung away. The bright green blade cut through the vines with ease. Satisfied, Luke deactivated and put up his weapon. Suddenly, Artoo shrieked. Immediately, blasters and lightsabers were ready and the four beings stood four square around the little droid on his travois. In the branches of the trees and in the foliage around them, a pack of vornskrs. Without a second thought, Shada and Rianna blasted four of them. The rest scattered and Luke and Mara put up their weapons. With a sigh, Luke picked up the travois and looked at the three women. "Ready to keep going?"

Mara rubbed her stomach and took a deep breath. "Let's keep going; we need to get to an opening and send a message."

They didn't have too terribly far to go before a gap opened in the trees above them. "There we are;" said Shada, indicating with her blaster. Luke sighed and set the droid down. Mara looked pale, drawn and tired. Taking her hand, Luke said, "Lie down, Honey; you need to rest."

"Can you sit with me just for a couple minutes while we rest?" she asked as he sat her down.

While the couple sat with their backs to a tree, Shada and Rianna set up the comms unit and balloon. "Alright, little fella;" said Rianna, "send the message and do it quick."

"Oh really?" snapped Shada and Rianna looked at her. Shada was looking at the Skywalkers in disgust. The Jedi power couple were both out cold, snoring softly. Rianna chuckled. "Let them sleep. Mara's pregnant and Luke's hauling the droid. Let's get this finished and take a break."

To their surprise, the droid emitted a hologram of a spindly protocol droid. "Good day Master Luke and Mistress Mara;" he said in the prissy, obnoxious voice. "And you as well, Mistress Shada and Mistress Rianna. I bring greetings from Captain Karrde. He and Captain Solo are most pleased to hear you are both alive and well after your accident. I trust you'll be able to decrypt this message, Artoo. Captain Karrde suggested that I be used to add a bit more confusion to the counter part encrypt. According to him, there are Imperial Stormtroopers waiting for you in Hyllyard City to make your appearance."

Shada and Rianna looked at one another. It seemed that Thrawn hadn't been fooled. He knew the Skywalkers were here and was waiting to take or just kill them both. "I don't think he knows for sure;" murmured Shada, as if reading Rianna's mind. The orange Twi'lek looked at her questioningly. "If he knew, the camp would have been leveled and Karrde and Solo and the rest would probably be dead."

"The story Karrde told them was that a former employee or employees stole valuable merchandise and tried to escape, with current employees in pursuit. However, I think that you will have to come up with something more suitable since it is common knowledge that Mistress Mara is pregnant. What you will do, he isn't sure; only know that he and Captain Solo are working out a plan to try to intercept you before the Stormtroopers do. If not, they will do their best to rescue you from them. If not, I'm afraid that there's nothing more I can say at the moment. Captain Karrde has a one minute real time limit on this message, to prevent anyone from locating the transmission point. Take good care of Master Luke and Mistress Mara, Artoo - and yourself too."

The image vanished and Karrde's two employees looked at each other. While Shada began to reel in the balloon, murmuring as she did, "You're not going to want to hear this-"

"No;" said Rianna firmly. "We are not turning them over to the Empire. If we do that, Thrawn will have no reason to leave Karrde be. If we wait, we might be able to save them and us and Karrde."

"You're reaching, Rianna, and you're letting your emotions cloud your judgement. We need to consider what's best for Karrde and our organization."

Rianna shook her head. "We need to think of the galaxy. If the galaxy falls to the Empire again, you _know_ that Thrawn and his Sith allies will be after us. You know about Karrde's history with Diabolis and the Zann Consortium. You know that our chances are better with the New Republic. Use those highly trained and well honed tactical and combat skills and tell me what you think."

Shada hated it when Rianna was right but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed so. "Okay so do you have any ideas?"

Rianna chewed a plump lower lip. Her thought process was interrupted by Artoo's electronic scream. Instinctual, she had her blaster in her hand and was tracking three hundred and sixty degrees. Shada followed her example with her own weapon but she was slammed to the ground by a heavy weight. The bark of a blaster was followed by a whine and the weight slumped against her before being rolled off.

The sound of Artoo's scream and the bark of the blaster had Luke to his feet in a moment, lightsaber in hand. Mara was standing with her back against the tree, one hand on her stomach, the other holding her holdout blaster. More vornskrs circled them, snarling and growling and this time, they weren't going to let the four beings get away. Again, Rianna and Shada began to blaze away with their blasters but that just made the others decide to charge. It was short but intense. Most were cut down by blaster fire but two made it through. One managed to bowl over Rianna before both she and Shada blasted it. The other darted straight for Mara but she coolly blasted it between the eyes. Luke had slashed down several as well and when they had stopped, eight were dead. The others fled into the night. "Is everyone alright?"

Shada and Rianna nodded and Mara was murmuring as she stroked her stomach. Luke placed his real left hand on her swollen abdomen and did the same. Rianna and Shada closed around them, facing outward for danger. "Is the baby okay?" asked Shada calmly. After a moment, Luke stood and said, "Yeah; it was just upset by the stress but we calmed it down. Mara?"

His wife took his hand and allowed him to pull her up. Shada shook her head. "We'd might as well stay here. It's good for a camp site and tomorrow is going to be a rough day. Rianna, start a small fire. I break out some food. Luke, get your wife bedded down."

* * *

 **Aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer _Chimaera_**

The battered A-Class bulk freighter drifted off the starboard side: a giant, space-going box with a hyperdrive attached, its faded plating glistening dully in the glare of the Star Destroy's floodlights. Sitting at his command station, Thrawn studied the sensor data and nodded. "It looks good, Captain," he said to Pallaeon. "Exactly the way it should. You may proceed with the test when ready."

"It'll be a few more minutes yet, sir," Pellaeon told him, studying the readout on his console. "The technicians are still having some problems getting the cloaking shield tuned."

He held his breath, half afraid of a verbal explosion. The untested cloaking shield and the specially modified freighter it was mounted to had cost hideous amounts of money - money the Empire really didn't have to spare. For the technology to suddenly come up finicky, particularly with the whole of the Sluis Van operation hanging squarely in the balance...

But the Grand Admiral merely nodded. "There's time," he said calmly, "What word from Myrkr?"

"The last regular report came in two hours ago," Pellaeon told him. "Still negative."

Thrawn nodded again, "And the latest count from Sluis Van?"

"Uh..." Pellaeon checked the appropriate file on his datapad. "A hundred twelve transient warships in all. Sixty five being used as cargo carriers, others on escort duty."

"Sixty-five; excellent. It means we get to pick and choose."

Pellaeon stirred uncomfortably. "Yes, sir."

Thrawn turned away from his contemplation of the freighter to look Pellaeon. "You have a concern, Captain?"

"I don't like sending them into enemy territory without any communications;" explained Pellaeon. Thrawn dryly replied, "We don't have much choice in the matter. That's how this particular cloaking shield works - nothing gets out, nothing gets in." He cocked an eyebrow and said pointedly, "Assuming, of course, that it works at all."

"Yes sir, but..."

"But what, Captain?"

Pellaeon cleared his throat and said, "It seems to me that this is the sort of operation we ought to use Diabolis's Dark Jedi on."

Thrawn patiently, yet firmly, said, "We don't need the Dark Jedi, Captain. With careful timing, we'll succeed without a problem."

"I disagree, Admiral. Under normal circumstances, yes, careful timing would get them into position. But there's no way to anticipate how long it'll take to get clearance from Sluis Control."

"On the contrary," countered Thrawn coolly. "I've studied the Sluissi very carefully. I can anticipate exactly how long it will take them to clear the freighter."

Pellaeon had to resist gritting his teeth. "If the controllers were all Sluissi, perhaps. But with the Rebellion funneling so much of their own material through the Sluis Van system, they're bound to have some of their own people in control, as well."

"It's of no consequence. The Sluissi will be in charge. Their timing will determine events."

Knowing that he wasn't going to win this argument, Pellaeon sighed, "Yes sir."

"It's not a question of bravado, Captain;" explained Thrawn, responding the captain's unspoken thought, "or of proving that the Imperial Fleet can function without them. The simple fact of the matter is that we can't afford to use Diabolis's acolytes too much or too often."

"Because we'll start depending on them, becoming, once again, just like borg-implanted into a combat computer;" said Pellaeon, trying and failing to keep the disgruntled tone out of his voice. Thrawn smiled thinly and said, "That still bothers you, doesn't it? Not matter. That is only a small part of it. I also don't want Diabolis taking control too soon."

Pellaeon frowned at him. "I thought he made it clear that he was willing to follow your lead at least until the Rebellion was defeated."

"He did;" replied the Grand Admiral, "but I have put much steady into the Sith Lords of the past, both recent and ancient. Patience and following is not in there nature, nor is sharing power and control. Darth Diabolis may have very well meant it when he said he was willing to cooperate. However, we must be cautious. He is trying to learn how to study civilizations and their art and architecture and such as I have. My teacher, Sev'rance Tann, taught me how to and it took her several years to do so. Before coming into known space to assist the Separatist Alliance during the Clone Wars. Perhaps force users have the ability to learn more quickly but even so, we have the control over how much and how quickly he learns."

Pellaeon frowned. "I'm not sure I understand, Admiral."

"That's quite alright, Captain;" said Thrawn, his voice somewhat amused. "Suffice to say, if we can regulate how much Darth Diabolis and his Dark Jedi interact with our operations, we will be useful to him for much longer."

There was a pause before Thrawn queried, "How goes the Noghri search for their targets?"

Pellaeon stifled a snort. "We lost contact with them - again. In truth, Admiral, I'm beginning to wonder if they will ever succeed."

"They will;" said Thrawn, "and if they don't, Diabolis is working on a special unit. Apparently there is a collection of specialized droids that have been programmed to handle Jedi and Sith by some ancient Sith Lord or another. Once they are finished, I will cease with the Noghri attacks, something that will bring them great shame of course. If it comes to that, the Noghri will learn a valuable lesson."

Pellaeon was about to reply when the display before him changed. "They are ready, Admiral."

The glowing red eyes turned to the freighter. "At your convenience, Captain."

Pellaeon took a deep breath and hit his comm switch. "Cloaking shield: activate."

Outside the view port, the freighter appeared to remain exactly the same. Thrawn gazed at it before checking his displays and checking the view port again. With a smile, he turned to Pellaeon. "Excellent, Captain. It's precisely as I wanted. I congratulate our technicians, Captain."

"Thank you, Sir. I take it the light is green?"

The Grand Admiral's smile remained. "The light is green, Captain. Alert the task force; prepare to move to the rendezvous point. The Sluis Van shipyards are ours."

 **Updated 12.06.2017**


	17. Chapter 17: Escape from Myrkr

It was just before noon when they began to here faint sounds in the forest. It was only an hour after that before Luke and Mara looked at each other. "Speeder bikes."

Rianna nodded and Shada asked, "Are you sure it's the 74-Z military scout model?"

All three nodded grimly. "Yeah. Luke nearly ran one into a tree on Endor."

Rianna snorted with amusement and Luke nodded, "It's true."

"Well I think there towards the south. I can't hear anything up north."

Mara looked over at Artoo. "Hey little buddy, any chance you can work us up an audio map for us?"

Luke chuckled and shook his head admiringly. "You're brilliant."

"You'd have thought of it if I hadn't."

After a moment, a two-color map appeared. "We were right;" murmured Shada as she studied. "A few units are directly ahead of us but the majority are in the south. Nothing north."

"We must have turned that way then;" commented Luke as he looked in the woods around them. All three of them looked at them. "Why do you say that?" asked Mara.

"Well I'm sure they figured we're heading to Hyllyard City. They're bound to focus their search on the direct approach."

Mara smiled and said, "I love that you're so logically naive, Farmboy. You know of course that just because we don't hear anything that way doesn't mean that there is no one there."

Luke blushed ever so slightly and said, "I mean, sure they could have a force lying in wait there. But why would they..." but he cut himself off and chuckled. "Of course. That's an old trick. Show us a 'clear' path so that we try for it instead of going to ground. So, what's the plan?"

Mara ruffled his hair and said fondly, "That's my boy. We could just try to fight them. Problem is that, without the force, we really can't do it quietly."

Shada gave a tight, aggressive smile. "Oh we can't can we? I thought you were an expert at hand to hand combat? The Emperor's Hand trained at the Yinchorr Academy and all that?"

Mara gave her a patient look. "Oh I was and I was. I also wasn't several months pregnant back then. But you do have a point. So how are we going to do that? The three of you might be able to take them but I'll be out of that kind of fight, much as it gulls me."

Luke glanced down at the map and chewed a lip. They were traveling in pairs, fifty meters apart - standard scout trooper procedure. "We'll take a group out and make a break for it."

"We'd need to move pretty fast;" said Mara. "They're going to be making a massive circle, probably with Chariot assault vehicles and other hover scouts - typical Imperial operating procedure."

"Wait a second;" said Luke, his blue eyes widening, a sure sign that he had an idea. "Karrde didn't mention that he told that _two_ of his employees pursued!"

"And?" asked Shada.

"Well, we have two of Karrde's employees right here. Why don't one of you two pretend to be bringing the other in, distract whoever we come across and either take them out or I can slip in and take them out. Whichever you prefer."

Both Shada and Rianna gave him tolerant looks and the latter said, "You do remember that I was a Renegade Squadron commando when we were dating back in the day, right? Shada is Karrde's bodyguard. She can handle herself. You know what? Just stay with your lady-love and let us handle this."

Rianna glanced at Shada. "I'll be the angry ex-employee. Here;" and she pulled her blaster and vibro-blade and handed them to Shada. Shada shoved the knife in her high-heeled boot and kept the blaster in her hand. "Let's do this."

They didn't have long before they came on a patrol. Luke and Mara hid in some thick foliage with Artoo and the rickshaw while Shada leveled the blaster at Rianna and they walked forward several more meters before a pair of biker scouts zipped in. "Halt!" commanded one. "Identify yourselves in the name of the Empire."

"Took you boys long enough;" said Shada. "Please tell me those speeder bikes aren't your only transportation. Walking through the woods like this in high heeled boots is not as easy as I make it look."

"Identify yourselves;" said one of the scouts. The two women kept moving forward, Rianna looking irritated with her hands on the back of her head. Shada rolled her eyes. "I'm Shada D'ukal, Karrde's bodyguard. This is the thief who tried to steal one of his ships and his merchandise."

"You'll both come with us. Our officer and Darth Diabolis wants to speak with you. Hey, stand back!"

"Whatever you say, trooper;" said Shada, lowering her blaster casually, pretending not to hear his order to stay back. "You have any binders? Mine were smashed in the crash."

One of the scouts stayed on his bike, covering them with the blaster on his bike while the other dismounted and walked over. In the blink of an eye, Rianna took the first guard, using a throw to get both herself and the scout out of a good line of fire while Shada rolled forward and at an angle to the still-mounted guard and took him off the bike with a flying kick before he could make up his mind at who to target. Within moments, the two beautiful but deadly women handily disabled the two biker scouts. Moments later, Luke and Mara joined them with Artoo and the travois. "Color me impressed;" said Luke. Mara nodded. "That was neat work, ladies. You know, when this is all over and when I'm not pregnant, you two and I should get together and swap techniques and the like."

Both Rianna and Shada grinned and said, "Sure but until then, we need to get outta here. Hey, two speed bikes. We can double up."

Luke shook his head. "I have a better idea."

He took the grappling hooks and cables from the scout troopers' belts and tide them around the foot pedals of the speeders before tying the other ends around trees. "Now, I can activate them and it will make the other scouts think they're still in their zone."

He turned the bikes on and they gently hovered there but didn't move. However, the whine of the engines was still more than audible. Mara looked her husband with appreciation. "You know, you're pretty smart, Farmboy. I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

"Oh?" Luke chuckled, "and that's the only reason?"

He kissed her and Shada cleared her throat. "Alright you two, you can do that later. Let's get moving. This won't fool them for long."

They continued moving forward as the woods began to thin. They were even able to get Artoo off his travois and allow him to roll forward. There trouble wasn't over though. They came upon a group of Imperial soldiers. They weren't stormtroopers, but regular Imperial army units with flack jackets and green combat fatigues. Unfortunately, this was going to be trickier. "It looks like this one is..."

A Chariot assault vehicle suddenly came in and the four fugitives looked at each other. "Wonderful."

"Do you think you could use your 'captive' trick again?"

Rianna nodded and, once again, handed her weapons over. "While we do, you should try to take that Chariot out of commission, Luke. Mara, stay with the droid."

Again, Rianna stepped out into the open, Shada behind her, covering her with her blaster. The officer in charge, a major judging by his insignia, glared and said, "Halt! How did you get passed our scouts?"

"Scouts?" asked Shada as she approached. "We never saw or heard any scouts, Major. Seems to me that your troopers are becoming lax."

"Who are you?" demanded the Major as he motioned his troops forward. A whole squad moved forward and surrounded them - not a good move against individuals who were experts in hand to hand combat. "I'm Shada D'ukal, Karrde's bodyguard and the head of his security. I'm bringing this thief back in for Karrde to deal with. Hey, do you have a decent comlink? I need to contact him."

"You can contact him when Lord Diabolis is done questioning you. In the mean time, lower your weapons."

Shada rolled her eyes and set the blaster on the ground before carefully and none threatening unholstering her own and setting it down beside the first one. A flash of motion caught her eyes - black cloth moving stealthily in the foliage right behind the Chariot. Rianna glanced as Shada and gave a tiny nod and the fun started.

If the soldiers had been stormtroopers, the plan would probably not have worked but these army soldiers were not very well equipped to handle fighters of Shada or Rianna's caliber. Shada brought two down before they had the chance to react and Rianna downed the major and another as well. Other soldiers ran in, not opening fire because they would risk hitting their comrades. As per Imperial military doctrine, a half a dozen soldiers waited back, weapons raised. They didn't count on help coming from the Chariot. Luke had taken out the two operators inside and then ran a short arc around behind the supporting troopers, eliminating them one or two at a time before they could stop him. When it was over, Shada, Rianna and Luke were surrounded by dead and unconscious Imperial soldiers. "You know, I expected a Jedi to be hopeless without his mystical powers;" commented Shada. "I'm actually pretty impressed, General Skywalker."

"I'm not a general anymore but thanks. I wasn't always a mystically powerful Jedi Knight. I had to operate mostly on my military training and good luck for the early part of my career."

Mara came out of the woods. "Alright, that was pretty fun to watch. Now, how should we proceed?"

Luke looked over at the chariot. "We could take that in."

"Risky. No, we should sabotage it and keep heading in. We aren't far. There'll be a fifty meter stretch of open ground and then the city. From there, we'll have to be careful. If we're spotted, it's going to be a running fight - one we can't really win since we don't have a ship to escape in."

They discussed and planned as they went, trying to iron out a plan until they came to the fifty meter strip of clear area. "What I wouldn't give for a set of electro-macro binoculars;" muttered Mara. It didn't look like there was anyone to spot them. "Before we break cover, we really need some kind of- wait;" hissed Shada. A group of individuals were heading towards the main entrance to the town. Luke studied them and his eyes widened. "Hey, those four men have Han chained up! What the blazes?"

"It's all probably part of Karrde's plan;" murmured Shada. "Don't worry. He'll have it taken care of. Come on. That gap between those buildings should be a good entry point."

They hurried in and ducked into the alley, moving quietly as they attempted to get closer. Suddenly Rianna hissed. "They have snipers on the rooftops. Look, there and there."

Mara noted the locations. "They're pointing away from us though - probably have a town square or landing area surrounded."

Rianna looked at Luke. "Stay low and keep moving. Shada and I will quietly take out each sniper position. You two try to get close enough to here what's going on."

Luke was about to reply when the dull, creaking thump of a scout walker was heard. Mara groaned. "Of course. They brought AT-ST's. Because, why not?"

Rianna and Shada quietly split off and Luke and Mara did their best to sneak as close as possible to where Han and his "captors" were talking to an Imperial officer. "I sure hope they're quick;" murmured Mara. Luke nodded. "Imperial sniper teams work in pairs - a scout sniper and a stormtrooper to help spot and support."

Suddenly, out from a large building with a sign that said 'They Hyllyard Hotel' strode a tall man in black robes. Luke hissed. "Diabolis. We're in trouble now."

Mara nodded, a hand falling to her belly. "What are we going to do?"

Luke chewed his lip before saying, "I'm going to break cover. I have a hunch that all eyes will turn to me and that Diabolis will tell everyone to stand down."

Mara's eyes widened. "Are you insane? Do you remember what happened last time?"

Luke looked his in the eyes. "Do you have a better plan?"

She didn't but there was no way in the galaxy that she was going to let Luke go out their alone. "I'm coming with you. Considering that the last time, you had a ton of help and still nearly died, I'm not letting you go alone so don't even think about protesting."

Luke looked anxiously down at her abdomen. Mara smiled and placed a hand on his very stubbly cheek before taking his hand and leading him out into the open. Side by side, lightsabers at the ready, they strode to meet the Dark Lord. Low curses were heard from the group of smugglers. Darth Diabolis smiled coldly and said, "Greetings, Skywalkers. It has been some time. Mara Skywalker, you're looking very... fit."

Mara smiled coldly and said, "I have to be - can't let a little thing like pregnancy slow me down. Too many of your dark side forcelings running a muck for that."

Diabolis looked around and said, "Where is Karrde's associate? They must have helped you through the-"

"Didn't survive the crash I'm afraid;" Mara said, cutting him off. Darth Diabolis didn't look convinced. "Indeed. That is a shame. I'm sure Karrde will miss them sorely. Well I'm glad you decided to show yourselves. I was looking forward to killing you."

In response, two lightsabers, green and violet _snap-hissed_ to life. "Good luck;" said Mara. "You'll need it, dark sider!"

"I didn't last time."

His red blade was in hand and he took a step forward when all chaos broke loose. The officer and soldiers that the smugglers had been talking to died in a flurry of fire from different directions. More fire poured from alleys and building windows. One of the scout walker that had just trundled into the square was his by a rocket of some kind and the legs fell in different directions, it's cockpit pod and connectors completely gone.

Diabolis glared at his enemies as they ran for cover. He desperately wanted to kill them but the words of his master, and countless other strategists rang in his ears. "Live to fight another day, my friend;" Darth Revan had said to him millennia ago on the very rare occasion that their encounter had been more than they could plausibly handle. This was one of those occasions. Without being able to touch the force, he would be cut down by blaster fire. Quickly, he headed towards the spaceport where an Imperial shuttle waited.

Luke and Mara had dropped down beside Han. "Hi there;" said the red head, planting a quick peck on Han's cheek. "Fancy meeting you here, flyboy."

"I know, right?" replied Han as he squeezed off a shot that took out an Imperial soldier. "You meet the damnedest people in the damnedest places these days, don't you?"

Luke was returning fire with a blaster rifle he had scooped up. Mara snatched it. "Give me that. I'm better at it than you."

Luke chuckled and took the back up blaster that one of Karrde's men offered him. The other three scout walkers were firing on several different positions. Civilians were hiding wherever they could and, thank the force, largely stayed out of danger. "Any ideas about those scout walkers, Red?" yelled Han over the blaster fire.

Mara shook her head as she pinned down a quartet of mixed soldiers and stormtroopers with a fully automatic spray from the blaster in her hands. "Not with the weapons we have and not without the force, no."

The rocket launcher wasn't firing again either - whether killed or out of munitions, none of them could determine. "Don't worry. We just need to live long enough for-"

A ship roared over head - the _Millennium Falcon_ laid down a spray of fire with the ventral quad gun. One by one, the walkers were blasted to scrap and the ship landed right in the center of the square, it's quad gun shutting down and the swivel blaster taking over, keeping stormtroopers and soldiers pinned down. "We'll cover you;" said one of the smugglers. "Go."

Luke used his body to cover Mara as they ran and Han blasted anyone stupid enough to show their heads while Artoo rolled ahead of them, helpfully sprayed fire suppressant, making a smoke screen for them. Talon Karrde stood at the bottom of the ramp, casually blasting anyway with a blaster rifle. "We need to wait for Rianna and Shada!" said Luke breathlessly. Another half a dozen smugglers ran down the ramp. "These men will extract them. We have one of my ships coming for us as well. Since the _Chimaera_ is no longer in orbit and neglected to leave air support, we own the skies."

He turned to Han. "Get your people back to my base, pick up there ship and take off. I would appreciate it if you were gone by the time I got back."

Han eyed him before proffering a hand. "Take care of yourself, Karrde. I hope we meet again in less stressful circumstances."

Karrde eyed him and shook his hand. "Don't take this the wrong way, Solo, but I hope not."

With that, covered by his smugglers and the _Falcon's_ swivel gun, Karrde ran to join his men. The Falcon took off and headed back.

* * *

It was over in an hour. By the time the ship arrived, the Imperials had all been taken care of or were fleeing. It didn't matter, they were irrelevant. "Remarkable;" muttered Karrde. "You trained our security personnel very well, Shada. You should be proud."

Shada nodded. "Still couldn't have done it without our New Republic friends. I think..." and she bit her lip before sighing and saying, "I think we should reconsider their proposal, Karrde."

Rianna nodded. "The New Republic needs to win, Karrde. If they don't, Diabolis will be able to send bounty hunters, Dark Jedi and who knows what else after us. Even we can't hide or run forever."

"You may be right but we'll talk about it after we clean out the base and get out. We'll head to Rishi, I think."

They nodded and headed towards the freighter that had arrived to pick them up.

* * *

The slicer Ghent was looking over the _Jade Star_ , his fingers just itching to mess with the computers, to crack them open and see how this ship worked. It was certainly not a stock model. Sorosuub Luxury Yacht 3000's did not come with this kind of hardware. Clasping his hands, Ghent leaned in to look closely at the security console. It was a beauty for sure. "What are you doing aboard my ship?"

The cold feminine voice behind him caused Ghent to freeze. After a moment and a gulp, he turned to see Mara Jade Skywalker standing there, her face stony and her arms crossed over her chest. "I swear I didn't touch anything!"

"Hmmm..." said Mara. "Artoo, check to make sure he's telling the truth. If he's lying, you have my permission to chase him off with your arc welder."

The droid whistled and beeped cheerfully and connected with the console. After several long moments, he whistled something and Mara checked the translation display. "Good. Karrde sold us the parts we need. Go help Luke, Han and Lando get her fixed up. It shouldn't take but a few minutes."

Turning back to Ghent, Mara asked, "What's your name, Kid?"

"Ghent." he said.

"You hungry, Ghent? I'm starving! Let's grab a bite before I kick you off my ship and we leave this literally force-forsaken planet."

Utterly confused, Ghent followed her to the galley. Mara pulled out the works and made a couple of sandwiches. Hers had a few odd ingredients - Corellian nut butter and pickled sweet and sour roots. "Why..." Ghent tried to ask. "I'm pregnant;" growled Mara. "That means I like weird food and feel the need to make sure string bean kids like you get enough to eat."

Ghent nodded, only half understanding and ate the sandwich. "Here, you need fruits too;" she said, tossing him a couple of juma fruits. Ghent just took it and eat it with a "thank you."

Mara looked slightly surly as she ate. Luke came in, wiping his hands on a rag. Mara pointed at him and growled, "This is all your fault!"

Confused, Luke asked, "What is?"

"I'm eating a sandwich that would make me sick normally and I couldn't let that kid leave without feeding him first. It's all your fault."

Luke had to fight hard not to laugh. "How's my ship?" groused Mara as she ate the last bite of sandwich. "Lando and Han are finished with the last tune up and Artoo is running diagnostics."

"Great. I want off this world."

Luke nodded in absolute agreement. "Yeah, me too."

Another fifteen minutes and the ship was going through pre-flight. Ghent had left with another juma fruit in his hand and Han and Lando had returned to the _Falcon_. As they sat in the cockpit, waiting for pre-flight, Luke said, "Han wants to have a conversation with you about a certain blue skinned, red-eyed Imperial in a white grand admiral's uniform."

Mara stiffened and said, "What?"

Luke at her. "So you know who it is?"

"Yeah;" said Mara, "and it's the worst news since we learned that two new Sith Lords were at large in the galaxy. We need to get back to Coruscant and we need to right now."

They took off and streaked towards through the sky. "Han wanted to stop by Sluis Van first, something about getting a stripped down cruiser for Karrde to borrow."

Mara didn't like that but suddenly, they felt it - the force washing over them. Their force bond reconnected and they both sighed with relief. Opening themselves up fully to one another, they basked as Luke set the coordinates for the jump to Sluis Van. When all was calculated and they were ready, Mara pulled the lever. "Set the time to let us know when we're there, Farmboy and then follow me."

Luke nodded. "Okay, where're we going?"

"Bed, I need to sleep and to sleep on a real bed too."

Luke chuckled and followed her.


	18. Chapter 18: Sluis Van

A mere three thousandths of a light-year away from the Sluis Van floated the Imperial force. Aboard the _Chimaera_ , Grand Admiral Thrawn and Captain Pellaeon patiently awaited the reports from all Imperial ships - five Star Destroyers, twelve Strike-class cruisers, twenty-two Carrack-Class light cruisers and thirty squadrons of TIE Fighters ready to launch and, at the center of the entire task force was a battered and stripped down A-class bulk freighter. Finally, the last Star Destroyer, the _Judicator_ , checked in.

From the bridge of his flagship, Grand Admiral Thrawn gazed out over the star-scape. "Status, Captain?"

"All ships are on line, sir. The freighter's cloaking shield has been checked out and primed; all Fighters are prepped and manned. I believe we are ready."

Thrawn nodded. "Excellent. What word from Myrkr?"

The question caught Pellaeon off guard for a moment. "I don't know, Admiral;" turning to the comms officer, he asked, "Lieutenant, the last report from the Myrkr landing force or from Darth Diabolis?"

"It was a- wait..." and the young officer paused, frowning at his display. Thrawn watched and listened silently. "A message was sent from one of our shuttles, Sir. It wasn't on the strike force's frequency and since all Sluis Van preparations were priority, I haven't yet gotten to it"

Pellaeon felt his gut twist painfully. "Play the message Lieutenant."

It was only a second before the image of Darth Diabolis appeared. "Grand Admiral Thrawn, this is Darth Diabolis transmitting immediately before I enter hyperspace. The Skywalkers escaped. They had help from a couple of their New Republic friends and Talon Karrde. We miscalculated him and lost the strike team. I will be returning to my flagship over Wayland. Alert me when the Sluis Van operation is over or if you need any assistance. Darth Diabolis out."

When the message ended, all three were silent. Pellaeon hesitantly turned to the Grand Admiral. The blue face was emotionless as he finally said, "We will deal with Karrde and his people later. In the mean time, the Sluis Van operation must continue. Signal the freighter, Lieutenant. Have them activate the cloaking shield."

Turning to the viewport, Pellaeon looked at the freighter as it sat benignly in the running light of the _Chimaera_. "Cloaking shield on, Admiral."

Thrawn nodded. "Order them to proceed."

The order was transmitted and the freighter began to lumber sluggishly around and face the shipyards. With a flicker of psuedomotion, it jumped to lightspeed. "Time mark," Thrawn Ordered and one of his bridge officers acknowledged, "Time marked."

Turning to Pellaeon, Thrawn asked formally, "Is my flagship ready, Captain?"

"The _Chimaera_ is at your full command, Admiral;" confirmed Pellaeon.

"Good; we follow the freighter in exactly six hours and twenty minutes. I want a final check of all ships... and I want you to remind them one last time that our task is only to engage and pin down the system's defenses. There are to be no special heroics or risks taken. Make that clearly understood, Captain. We're here to gain ships, not lose them."

Pellaeon nodded. "Yes, Sir."

"And Captian..."

Pellaeon turned back to him with a small frown. "Admiral?"

There was a tight smile on Thrawn's face. "Remind the, too, that our final victory over the rebellion begins here."

A thrill ran up Pellaeon's spine when he realized that Thrawn meant every word and, most importantly, could actually follow through with it. No matter how hard he tried, the Star Destroyer captain could not keep his own tight smile from appearing. "As you command, Grand Admiral Thrawn."

* * *

The _Falcon_ and the _Star_ were drifting and waiting for their arrival slot when it began. A simple, clunky looking A-class bulk freighter exploded and TIE Fighters began to swarm from its wreckage. Luke and Mara were yanked out of their preoccupation with one another. Luke threw on some clothes and shoes and ran to the cockpit. "You got the guns?"

"In a sec;" she replied. "just let me get a shirt on. Go evasive. Don't them hurt my ship."

Luke did better than that. The Star had forward facing guns as well as a underslung cannon that could swivel and elevate. Luke used the forward facing gun to shred any fighters that happened to be in his path. When the comms unit went off, Luke heard Han cursing. "Blast it. We just got caught in an Imperial attack!"

"You don't say." gritted out Luke as he maneuvered the _Star_ out of a spray of laser fire. "I count three - four - five Star Destroyers not to mention numerous strike cruisers and carracks."

Mara came over the comms. "That's why they hit Bpfassh! He anticipated out response perfectly."

"Who anticipated our response?" demanded Han. "Who the hell are we dealing with, Mara?"

"We can have this conversation when the battle's over;" said Mara as she began to blast away at the TIE's.

Luke debated facing the oncoming horde of fighters but then noticed that the emergency frequencies were blowing up. Activating it, Luke heard a familiar voice. "Emergency! Imperial TIE fighters in the orbit-dock area. All ships to battle stations."

"That's Wedge!" he exclaimed as he switched over to Rogue Squadron's frequency. "Wedge, is that you?"

"Luke?" replied Rogue Leader. "We got trouble here-at least forty TIE fighters and fifty truncated-cone-shaped things I've never seen before-"

He broke off as a screech from the X-wing's etheric rudder came faintly over the speaker. "I hope you've brought a couple wings of with you," said Wedge. "We're going to be a little pressed here."

Han came over the comms. "We have the _Falcon_ and Mara's _Jade Star_. We'll get to you as soon as we can. Lando, get to the dorsal gun."

"I guess that's worth a fighter wing or so. Make it quick, guys. We need all the help we can get against these fighters and cone-things."

"Hey!" came Lando's indignant call over the comms. "Those are my Mole Miners!"

"Impossible. There is no way!" said Han but Lando was adamant. "That's them, Han. Some blasted Imperial moron has brought them into the middle of a battle."

Mara came over the comms. "Who we're dealing with is as far on the other end of the spectrum from being a moron as you can get, Calrissian. Whatever his plan is, I guarantee it's absolutely brilliant."

Her words were less than comforting.

* * *

"All ships report engaged, sir;" reported Pellaeon. But Thrawn didn't take any notice. He was gazing out the viewport at the New Republic ships scrambling to defend the yards. "That was them, Captain;" the Grand Admiral said, his voice unreadable. "That ship straight ahead is the _Millennium Falcon_ and the one just off to its starboard, I assume, is the _Jade Star_."

"Yes sir." replied Pellaeon, carefully hiding his doubts. "Cloak Leader reports a successful breakout, and the command section of the freighter is making its escape to the periphery. They're encountering some resistance from escort ships and a squadron of X-wings, but the general defense has so far been weak and defuse."

Thrawn took a deep breath and turned away from the viewport. "That will change;" he told Pellaeon, back in control again. "Remind him not to push his envelope too far, or to waste excessive time in choosing targets. Also that the spacetrooper mole miners should concentrate on the Calamari Star Cruisers-they're going to have the largest number of defenders aboard."

His red eyes glittered. "And inform him that the _Millennium Falcon_ and _Jade Star_ are on their way."

"Yes, sir," said Pellaeon. He glanced out at the absurdly modified luxury yacht and frowned. As if reading his mind, Thrawn said in a hard voice. "It would seem that our 'neutral' smuggler friend Talon Karrde _does_ have a great deal to answer for."

* * *

Luke cut the starboard thrusting and gunning its reverse thrusters while simultaneously gunning the port thrusters, causing the ship to spin around on a cred stick. Mara was prepared since their minds were completely linked. Indeed, neither of them could tell who's idea the maneuver was. Luke vaped several fighters that had been pursuing them while Mara intercepted those that had been coming in from their port side. "Nice maneuvering, Farmboy;" she murmured into the comms. "Thanks. Nice shooting."

Luke took stock and saw that they were out towards the outskirts of the battle and no enemy ships were engaging them at the moment. "We can fix that;" said Mara, answering his unspoken thought. "In just a moment;" Luke replied. They had noticed something. On one of the Mon Calamari Star Cruisers, right up against the bridge blister, was one of Lando's Mole Miners. As they moved towards it, they saw that an X-wing was doing the same thing. Suddenly, turbolaser fire lanced out, narrowly missing the X-wing! More poured out, some of it towards the _Star_. "What the blazes?" snapped Mara and it suddenly all became quite clear.

"Artoo, get to the outlet and scan for the rest of the mole miners. Make it quick, buddy."

It was the work of a moment and the droid whistled and beeped. The monitor that translated his binary stated that there were only fifteen in the area. "Wedge, it's Luke, how many of those mole miners came from the freighter with the TIE's?"

"Fifty, Luke, and their are only fifteen left. What the hell are they doing with them?"

Luke gritted his teeth. "I'm guessing they have troops board our ships and are using them to take the bridges. Look, there's one heading towards that escort frigate. Wedge, go after it and I'll take one of those headed towards that cruiser. We have to keep them from stealing this fleet!"

As they jumped into action, Han muttered, "How can they possibly take a cruiser with - what, four or five troopers?"

"The way these ships are manned," replied Wedge, obvious strain in his voice, "four or five storm troopers would easily be enough."

As he spoke, a light brighter than laser fire, came from beneath one of the mole miners that was settling on one of the cruisers. "If we could get aboard the cruisers, Luke and I could easily take them;" said Mara. But that came with it's own set of problems. If they blew the miners perched on the outside of the ships, the loss of a seal would cause the ship's blast doors in the area to shut, making it far more difficult to take the bridges back. "We'll have to take out the ships' engines, render them immobile."

"We can get to that;" said Wedge. "Let's take care of the unattached mole miners first."

"You got it."

Mara took careful aim and fired, guided by the force. Her blast vaporized a section of the cone. She was trying to blow it apart as oppose to disintegrating it so as to get a look at the numbers and equipment the troops inside had. Before she could fire again, the hatch opened and out came a robot-like figure that reminded Mara uncomfortably of Dark Trooper war droids. But they weren't Dark Troopers. No, they were were 'space troopers' stormtroopers with training and tech suites that allowed them to survive in the vacuum of space. "Luke!" she yelled but he was already on it, banking and spinning but not before the ship shook violently from a nasty concussion. "Are we alright?" she called. "Yup, it just glanced us. He must have a PLEX missile launcher or something."

Mara swung her gun around and took aim. Spacetroopers weren't fighters and a comparatively small explosion appeared. "Good;" she growled before turning back to the mole mine.

* * *

Pellaeon watched the battle and though to himself that it was good that they were here just to keep the Sluissi and New Republic tied up because they were putting up one hell of a fight. Suddenly, a status board at one of the stations in front of him went red. "Get that starboard shield back up now!" he ordered, giving the sky in that direction a scan. There were several ships firing at them like mad and a orbital battle station behind in backstop position. The shields were beginning to fall completely. "Starboard turbolasers: focus all fire on the Assault frigate at thirty-two mark forty," ordered Thrawn with absolute calm. "Concentrate on the starboard side of the ship only."

The _Chimaera's_ guns sent out a withering salvo of fire. The whole starboard side of the frigate went up in vapor and it's weapons were no longer firing. "Excellent;" said Thrawn. "Now, starboard tractor beam crews, lock on and bring it close. Keep it between the damaged shields and the enemy and be sure that it's starboard side remains facing us so that the weapons on the port side are useless t them."

Pellaeon watched for several long moments before turning to the rest of the battle. "Squadron four, get after that group of B-wings. Port ion cannons, continue pressure on that command center. Admiral;" and he turned to Thrawn, "Any special orders?"

"No, the battle seems to be progressing as planned. Any word from Cloak Leader?"

"The TIE fighters are still engaging various escort ships and forty-three of the mole miners have successfully attached to target ships. Of those, thirty-nine are secure and making for the perimeter. Four are still encountering internal resistance, though they anticipate victory."

"And the other eight?"

"They've been destroyed," Pellaeon told him. "Including two of those with the spacetroopers aboard. One of those is failing to respond, presumably dead with his craft."

"Inform Cloak Leader that it is time to begin pulling his group back to the perimeter. "

"You mean _now_ , sir?" asked Pellaeon with a frown.

"Certainly now, Captain. The first of our new ships will be arriving within fifteen minutes. As soon as they're all with us, the task force will be withdrawing."

"But..."

"The Rebel forces within the perimeter are of no further concern to us, Captain. The captured ships are on their way. With or without the TIE fighter cover, there's nothing the rebels can do to stop us."

* * *

Han was examining one of the frigates' engine system for a way to damage them enough to stop the ships but it was no good. There was just too much armored plating over the coolant systems and power regulators. "No good;" he said over the comms. "There's no good way to manipulate it."

"Okay;" growled Mara, "So now what?"

"Dammit!" said Lando suddenly. "I can't believe I didn't think of this. Those mole miners are usually run on radio remote back on Nkllon."

"Do you remember the commands?" asked Han.

"Most of them, yeah. What are you thinking?'

"Nothing fancy. Just start them running and hope that they can burn through enough equipment to cause these ships to shut down. It should work considering that the miners are right up against the bridges and control wings of the ships.."

They watched anxiously as the frigate suddenly began to twitch slightly. Suddenly, the engines dimmed and died and just like that, it stopped it's movements towards the perimeter of the fight. A call from Wedge came over the comms. "It's working! Look - it's working!"

The ships around them were suddenly twisting and flames shot from their sides, no longer making for deep space.

* * *

Thrawn was silent for a lone time as he gazed out at what would have been his new ships. Finally, he asked calmly, "Have all Cloak Force fighters returned to our ships, Captain?"

"Yes, sir;" replied Pellaeon.

"Order the task force to withdraw."

Pellaeon frowned. "Withdraw, sir?"

It was clearly not the order he was expecting from his superior. Thrawn gave him the faintest smile. "I suppose you were expecting me to order an all out attack, covering our defeat in a frenzy of false and futile heroics?"

"Of course not, sir;" said Pellaeon but they both knew the truth. Thrawn's smile became cold. "We haven't been defeated, Captain, merely slowed down a bit. We have Wayland and the treasures of the Emepror's storehouse. Sluis Van was merely a preliminary to the campaign, not the campaign itself. As long as we have Mount Tantiss, our ultimate victory is still assured."

Turning back to the viewport, Thrawn gazed at the shipyards as they began to spin away. "We've lost this particular prize, Captain. But that is all that we've lost. I will not waste ships or men trying to change that which cannot be changed. There will be many more opportunities to obtain the ships we need. Carry out your orders."

"Yes, Admiral," Pellaeon said as he obeyed, relief flowing through him. So there would be no explosion after all... and with a twinge of guilt, he realized that he should have known better. Thrawn was not merely a soldier like so many others that Pellaeon had served with. He was, instead, a true warrior, with his eyes set on the final goal and not on his own personal glower.

Pellaeon ordered the retreat after one final look out the viewport and wondered, not for the first time, how Endor would have ended if Grand Admiral Thrawn had been in command.

* * *

It took a couple hours for the battle to truly end after the Imperial fleet departed. The stormtroopers were mostly dead, sucked into space when the mole miners had ruptured their air seals. The space troopers were a little more difficult. They fanned out and did as much damage as they possibly could, ignoring all orders to surrendered. Eventually, six were destroyed and two self destructed, one managing to cripple a Corellian Corvette. They left behind them, a shipyard in absolute chaos.

After a rather heated discussion with one of the ships Captains, Han received an oncoming call from Coruscant. "Han?" said a voice that was music to his ears. "It's Leia."

"Leia!" Han said, feeling a delighted if slightly foolish looking grin spread across his face. A second later, though- "Wait a minute. What are you doing back on Coruscant?"

"I think I've taken care of our other problem," she said. Her voice, he noticed, sounded rather tense and just a little ragged. "At least for the moment."

"You _think_?"

"Look that's not important right now"

A cold hard knot settled into Han's stomach. "What's wrong?"

"Admiral Ackbar has been removed from command and arrested on charges of treason."

The room filled with a brittle silence. Han looked in turn at Wedge, Lando, Luke and Mara but none of them had anything to say. "We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Good;" said Leia, sounding relieved. "Ackbar is going to need all the friends he can get."

"Alright. Contact me on the _Falcon_ if there's anymore news. We're heading there right now."

"I'll see you soon. I love you, Han."

"Me too."

The connection was broken and Han turned back to the others. "Well there goes the hammer."

"We need to get back as fast as we can;" said Mara. "Aside from this whole crate of insanity, the New Republic needs to know who it's up against."

They all looked at her and Mara decided that she needed to give them something. "His name is Grand Admiral Thrawn. In short, he fell out of favor years ago and was essentially banished to a mapping expedition into the Unknown Regions. It's a good thing too because if he was here during the war, the Rebel Alliance wouldn't have stould a chance. He's tactically and strategically brilliant - more so than any other officer I have ever seen. That's all I have time for right now. We need to go."

They were silent as they hurried back to their ships, fretting about everything they had just learned. "We could be on the edge of a civil war here."

Han replied with a confidence he certainly didn't feel, "Yeah well, we aren't going to let that happen. We haven't been fighting through this endless war just so some over ambitious, smarmy Bothan can attempt a take over and wreck everything."

"How are we going to stop him?" asked Luke. Mara snorted. "I have several ideas."

"Mara..." chided Luke.

Han grimaced. "We'll think of something."

* * *

 **And thus ends the first part of my AU Thrawn trilogy. Please read, review and request. I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Updated 12.06.2017**


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